


Unexpected

by SophimusPrime



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Canon, Canon, Childhood Trauma, Depression, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Loss, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Mates, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shameless Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Suicidal Thoughts, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 126,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26525029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophimusPrime/pseuds/SophimusPrime
Summary: With the Council working towards a treaty of peace between turians and humans, freshly appointed Spectre Vakarian reluctantly sets off in search of his future XO, an Ex-Alliance soldier who appears to be both a famed legend and total mystery.Can they become the symbol of peace the Council is looking for? Will past demons ruin their chances at saving the galaxy?
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 69
Kudos: 108





	1. Oh, Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> The first few chapters are a bit of a prologue to try to introduce some of the changes before getting into the nitty gritty of the story. 
> 
> I keep tweaking it and trying to improve it but, I've got to post it eventually so, here we are.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it :)

_Why me, anyway? **Everything** is riding on this. Spirits, talk about chucking a guy in at the deep end. What makes them so damn sure I won’t fail?_

“Garrus..”

_..can I really do this?_

“ **Hello?** Palaven to Garrus!” 

A swift shove to his shoulder jolted him from his thoughts, his ears instantly flooded with pounding techno music and the nonsensical chatter emanating from a sea of voices. The room shifted back into focus, including the faces of the two turians sat opposite him, both watching him expectantly. 

“Hmm? Sorry, lost myself there for a minute.” 

“Yeah, no shit,” his friend chirped, his subharmonics trilling mischievously. “What’s going on with you tonight? Did you even hear what I said?” 

“Uhh.. no,” he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, Rae. What were you saying?” 

“Spirits, you’re hopeless,” Raelus huffed, rolling his hawk-like, yellow eyes. “Chellick and I were just discussing what it’s gonna be like sharing a ship with humans. What do you think?” 

He huffed out a breath in reply and leaned back against the seat, looking out into the crowd. Flux was packed tonight. There were people from almost every race in Citadel space. All come to celebrate something or other. A group of C-Sec Officers hovering by the bar, come to enjoy a well earned beer after clocking out for the day. A turian and asari tucked away in the far corner, enjoying a little privacy. Their beaming smiles and the longing, eager looks in their eyes revealing how they feel, the distance between them suggesting that neither had braved the first move yet. 

His gaze drifted to a booth nearby, packed with Alliance soldiers. All of them whooping and hollering, clinking their drinks together in cheers, making the most of their shore leave after presumably another successful mission. A few decades ago, they would have been celebrating wiping out some turian platoon. Just as his kind would have been doing after taking down another of their squadrons. But.. there was peace now. For the most part, at least. Watching them, they didn’t seem so different. Yet, they were still so.. _alien_. 

“Honestly.. I have no idea,” he said finally, looking back at his friends. “It's gonna be interesting, that’s for sure.”

“That’s putting it mildly. Will there be many on the crew?” 

He opened up his Omni-Tool, scanning through the crew list datafile.

“It’s a pretty even split amongst the CIC crew," he pondered. "Then there’s the pilot.. three engineers.. a couple of fighters, the shuttle pilot and the medic.” 

“Engineers, huh? You got any pictures, or..?” 

“No, Rae. The Alliance forwarded me their dossiers, not their dating profiles.”

“That’s a shame..”

“Did you see a ‘Lucy' on the list, Garrus?” 

_Oh, spirits. Here we go.._

The question he’d been dreading since he found out who'd be joining his new team. Chellick had met Lucy about a year ago, on their last shore leave here. He fell for her. Badly. Spoke about her for months, although pining was probably a better word for it. She was Alliance so, once this project started, Chellick had always hoped that they’d be reunited. Admittedly, part of Garrus had too, for his friend’s sake. He cleared his throat awkwardly before he spoke. 

“Uh.. no, I didn’t. Sorry, Chellick. I checked a couple of times, just to be sure.”

Chellick hung his head, his subharmonics keening quietly. Damn, this was uncomfortable. Garrus never had been good with these kinds of situations. He rubbed the back of his neck and huffed out a breath. Luckily, Raelus swooped in to save the day like an ebony plated angel.

“Don’t worry, Chellick,” he said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Garrus is a Spectre now. Maybe he can find something that’ll help us track her down.” 

“I can do that,” Garrus confirmed. “I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything but, once we ship out and the dust has settled, I’ll look into it. I'll speak to Nihlus too, see what he can dig up."

“Thanks, Garrus.”

“See? Problem solved,” Raelus chirped, nudging Chellick’s side. “In the mean time, maybe there’s another pretty little human on the crew that can take your mind off things. Who knows? Could be one for Garrus too.”

While he had nothing against humans, he certainly wasn’t attracted to them. They may have formidable soldiers in their ranks but, they were still so squishy and fragile in comparison to his own kind. He liked to fuck a women long and hard, until she can’t see straight. Can’t really do that with the worry of accidentally tearing them to pieces. 

“I’ll pass, thanks.” 

“Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Raelus teased, shrugging his shoulder. “I think you’d be pleasantly surprised.” 

“Uh huh. Well, on that note, I’m gonna head off,” he said, getting to his feet. 

“You can’t stay for another round?” Chellick asked.

“Nah, I better not. Still got a lot to do before we ship out tomorrow.” 

“Look,” Raelus said to Chellick, leaning in close. “I got him all flustered."

“Very funny. Don’t stay out too late, alright? I’ll see you both in the morning. Docking Bay 19, 0700 sharp. If you arrive before me, report to Nihlus. He'll show you where you need to go."

Both of his friends gave him an over exaggerated turian salute in reply. Idiots. He shook his head tiresomely before sliding out of the booth, chirping his farewells as he set off to leave.

“Hey,” he heard Chellick call out after a few moments. “What’s the ship called again?”

“The Normandy,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away, a huge grin spreading across his face.


	2. Welcome aboard, Spectre Vakarian

"Now approaching Docking Bay 19,” the elevator VI crooned as the doors whooshed open. 

Garrus stepped out and the cool, artificial breeze of the Docking Bay hit him almost instantly, tickling across his plates. Only one ship sat docked at this platform. _His_ ship. He'd seen the blueprints but, this was his first time seeing it in the synthetic flesh. He was completely awestruck. 

_Spirits, **this** is really mine? _

He spotted four familiar figures further down the dock, all gathered by the boarding gate to the ship, engaged in some sort of discussion. As he grew closer, they broke off their conversation and turned to greet him. One of them in particular looked very happy to see him. 

“Ah! There you are, Gar-bear!”

He practically ran over to Garrus, then wrapped his arm around his shoulders as he ushered him towards the rest of the group. 

“I half expected you to wimp out on us. Remind me I owe Raelus ten credits.”

“Nihlus, you’re professionalism knows no bounds,” the other turian chided in a sarcastic tone. 

“Good to see you, Nih,” Garrus said, humming happily. He turned to face the other turian, bowing in respect. “Primarch Fedorian, sir. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

The Primarch returned the greeting, then extended his arm to offer a more informal handshake, to which Garrus gladly accepted. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Vakarian. Congratulations. This is a big day for all of us.”

“Thank you, sir. I aim to make Palaven proud.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” the Primarch chirped. “Though I don’t know how easy that’ll be with Spectre Kryik around.”

“You love it,” Nihlus teased, winking at the Primarch with his emerald green eyes.

Not many were granted the opportunity to meet the Primarch. It was only common for those that were highest in the Hierarchy chain of command. Yet, due to this project, Garrus was lucky enough to have met him a few times now. Considering he was the top of the chain, the most powerful man in the Hierarchy, he was surprisingly grounded. 

“Now, Vakarian, I’m sure you recognise these two gentlemen.”

The two humans stepped forward, both donning the official Alliance regalia. This was his first time meeting them in person but, he recognised them instantly.

“Admiral Hackett, Admiral Anderson,” he greeted, giving them a human salute, to which they respectfully returned. “Good to finally meet you.”

“At ease, son,” Anderson said in a friendly tone, shaking his hand. “This sure has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” 

“It certainly has, Admiral.”

“So.. what do you think?” Anderson asked as his eyes glided over the Normandy’s impressive form. “She’s a thing of beauty, isn’t she?” 

“She's incredible..”

His gaze drifted to the ship appreciatively for long moments before returning to his present company. 

“I can't wait to see her in action. Have the rest of the crew already arrived?” 

“They have,” Fedorian answered. “As I’m sure you can imagine, Nihlus has already made his presence well known. He'll be able to show you around and help you put faces to names with your new crew.” 

“Yes, that’s me. Spectre Nihlus Kryik; defender of the galaxy, handsome lone wolf, brave warrior.. and _tour guide_.”

“I think you’d make an excellent tour guide..”

“Oh, Gar-bear, you say the sweetest things,” Nihlus chirped, placing a hand on Garrus' armoured shoulder.

“Yeah, you’d be great. You love the sound of your own voice.”

“Oo, the Spectre status has made you feisty, Garrus,” Nihlus teased, shoving him playfully. “..I like it.”

“If you two are quite done,” the Primarch interjected. “Perhaps we could discuss the _actual_ reason we’re all here.” 

“Sorry, sir.”

“Spectre Vakarian,” came Hackett's hoarse voice. “We understand that Primarch Fedorian spoke to you regarding your Executive Officer?”

“He did, Admiral,” Garrus confirmed with a single nod. “I think it’s a good idea. Given what we're trying to achieve here, having one of yours as my XO makes sense.”

“Glad you see it that way, son,” Anderson said cheerfully. “Admiral Hackett and I spent a long time thinking about this. In the end, there was really only one choice. We discussed this in detail with Primarch Fedorian here, who agreed with our decision.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but' coming?” 

Nihlus snorted a laugh and the Primarch shot him a glare, a warning growl rumbling in his chest. The Spectre threw his arms up in surrender, quietly chirruping in amusement.

“ _But_ ,” Anderson continued, trying to hide his smile. “It’s a complicated situation. We aren’t even sure whether they’ll agree to it.” 

“Wait.. you haven’t even asked yet?” 

“Like I said, son; complicated..”

“Spectre Vakarian.. have you ever heard of Commander Shepard?” Hackett asked.

Nihlus' subvocals began to hum and chirp in excitement, loud enough to catch both the Primarch and Garrus' attention.

“Shepard? That’s who you want as XO of the Normandy?” 

“Of course. You were assigned to review her, weren’t you? Forgive me, age does terrible things to a man’s memory,” Anderson said, chuckling to himself as he wearily rubbed his forehead. “Yes, Admiral Hackett and I both felt that Shepard is the best choice.”

“And I agree,” said the Primarch. 

“Okay.. so, what’s the catch?” 

“Commander Shepard left two years ago due to.. personal reasons. We’ve only just recently managed to track her location,” Admiral Hackett explained. “She went through a lot. Needed some time. We figured giving her that was better than potentially losing her for good. We can only hope that these past couple of years, she's gotten the space she needed. I’ll forward you her dossier.”

Garrus' Omni-Tool chimed and he opened the datafile, scanning through the details of his potential future XO. 

[COMMANDER EVA SHEPARD - SMALL TACTICAL UNIT EXPERTISE]  
[FORMER ALLIANCE NAVY - RETIRED, N7, INFILTRATOR, NOTED SNIPER AND EXPERT STRATEGIST]  
[LAST KNOWN LOCATION – OMEGA]

The dossier was so vague that he may as well not have received it. Although, learning that Shepard was an N7 meant she had to be skilled. Apparently, N7s were the human equivalent of the turian Blackwatch squad. Only the most elite soldiers were selected to join the program.. and only the best of _them_ actually made it through. 

He used his new Spectre status to search for more intel on her. Each time he tried, a large **‘ACCESS DENIED'** appeared on the display of his Omni-Tool. 

“This isn’t much for me to go on,” he grumbled, still focusing on the screen. “How can I be denied access to her records even with my Spectre authorisation?” 

“Shepard's records are kept under lock and key for her own safety,” Hackett insisted, his posture bristling even more than it already had been. “Everything you need to know is included in her dossier. Rest assured that nothing in her personal files will have any bearing on this.” 

Garrus ran his hand along the length of his fringe, huffing out an exasperated breath.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to go to Omega to find an ex-Alliance soldier I know nothing about, in the hopes that she _might_ join us? Seems like it would make more sense to choose someone else. I read the dossiers you forwarded onto me, there’s some extremely skilled Alliance soldiers on this crew. Surely any one of them would be capable?”

The Primarch opened his mouth to protest, but it was Nihlus who spoke first. 

“I can vouch for Shepard personally, Garrus.”

There was no humour in his tone as there usually was. It was severe. Matter of fact.

“She’s a natural leader. If we can get her to join us, she’ll be a serious asset to the crew.” 

“Spectre Kryik is right,” Anderson said. “Shepard is the best damn soldier we have to offer.” 

“Then what’s she doing on Omega?” 

The Admiral simply sighed and shook his head solemnly. 

“I don't know, son. Shepard isn't exactly the type you’d expect to end up there. At a guess.. I’d say she went there to get off the radar.” 

“So, what.. you think I’ll somehow be able to convince her to join us?”

“No, I'm hoping that _she_ will,” Anderson said, gesturing his head towards the ship. “If I know Shepard like I think I do, once she learns about the Normandy, she won’t be able to resist.” 

“Come on, Gar-bear,” Nihlus chirped, wrapping his arm around Garrus' shoulders. “It’ll be fun. Having Shepard on the crew, we'll be a force to be reckoned with.” 

Garrus looked over at the Primarch who gave him a subtle nod. With that, he conceded. This choice had obviously already been made, regardless of his feelings on the matter.

“Alright. We'll go and find her.”

_This had better be worth it._

“Thank you, Vakarian. There are other dossiers that the Admirals and I have compiled for you. People with specific skill sets that would be helpful additions to your crew. However, it would be wise to head for Omega first. Take too long and Shepard may disappear before you get there.”

“Of course, sir.”

Anderson stepped forward, reaching for Garrus' hand. As he shook it, his grip was tighter than it had been before. It didn’t seem malicious. It felt.. desperate.

“Bring her back for us, son.”

The hope in his eyes all but confirmed Garrus' suspicions. 

“I’ll do what I can.”

“Spirits, if he doesn’t, I will," Nihlus purred.

Apparently he was especially excited at the prospect of Shepard joining the crew. What was the story there? 

“Good luck out there, Vakarian. Do us proud and be safe,” the Primarch said, placing a hand on his armoured shoulder. 

“Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.”

After farewells had been exchanged and the others had taken their leave, only Garrus and Nihlus remained on the platform.

“Well.. shall we?” Nihlus said eagerly, gesturing towards the boarding gate.

His heart was racing. His talons were itching with anticipation. Months of preparing, of waiting.. of dreaming. It all came down to this moment. 

“Nih, you read my mind.”

Once they’d finally boarded, the airlock doors closed behind them and they patiently waited for the decontamination cycle to finish. 

_Well, better get this over with while it’s just the two of us._

“So.. what’s the deal with you and Shepard?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Nihlus said innocently.

“Come off it. I could practically feel you humming when her name came up. Spill.”

“Nothing gets past you, eh? I wish I could say otherwise but, there’s really nothing to tell.”

“Nihlus..” 

“ _Garrus_..” Nihlus droned, mimicking his tone in a childlike voice.

“Ugh, don’t,” he snapped, shaking his head. “You know I hate it when you do that. I'm being serious here, Nih. I need to know.. is Shepard really as good as you say? I don’t wanna do this if we’re just tracking down some human you had a thing for.”

Nihlus' brow plates furrowed at the accusation, his mandibles pulling tight against his face. He looked about ready to clock him in the jaw.

_Oops.. poor wording, perhaps._

“If I didn't think Shepard would be right for this, I would say so. I've been a Spectre for as long as I have for good reason, Garrus. I would never base such an important decision on personal feelings. Give me _some_ credit. It's as Admiral Anderson said.. I was assigned to review her, so we worked a few missions together. That’s all there is to it.”

“Review her for what?” 

“Spirits! Her cooking skills, Garrus. What do you think?”

Nihlus leaned back against the wall of the airlock, folding his arms across his chest. 

“The Council were working towards having a human amongst the Spectres. Shepard was the obvious choice. I was sent to determine whether she had what it takes.”

_Shepard was considered for Spectre candidacy? Interesting.._

“Alright, I’ll admit that’s impressive. So.. did she?” 

“Oh yeah,” Nihlus purred, staring up at the ceiling. “Spirits, that woman was impressive to watch. After she left, there weren’t any other humans that seemed ready for the Spectre rank so, it just got forgotten about.”

The doors to the bridge hissed open before he could say anything else, suddenly Garrus was far too preoccupied to pry any further. Everything looked so new, so pristine. It was even better than he’d imagined.

“The Commanding Officer is on board the ship. Welcome, Spectre Vakarian,” came a sultry, synthetic voice through the speakers nearby.

He smirked upon hearing his name through the ships speakers, slowly spinning around to observe every detail of the Normandy he could see until he'd done a complete 360°.

“This is insane..” 

“And this is just the bridge,” Nihlus chirped. “Wait till you see the Main Battery. I can already picture your face. Come on, I’ll introduce you to the pilot first.” 

He'd not so secretly been looking forward to seeing inside there since he’d first laid eyes upon the Normandy’s blueprints. The weapons systems were solely of turian design and if there’s one thing his kind were good at, it was crafting big fucking guns. The Thanix Cannon was more than testament to that, using an electromagnetic field to blast a beam of superheated molten metal at its target. In other words, anyone in its firing line would meet a very toasty, very painful end. Now _that’s_ how you deliver justice. 

“Wait.. can’t we go see it now?”

He longingly looked down towards the CIC, to the elevator hiding behind the platform to the galaxy map. He knew the Main Battery was on the floor below, right beneath his feet. 

“No, I think it’s probably better to save that until last. It'd be nice for your crew to actually meet you before you lose yourself in there.”

He idly considered shooting a hole through the floor, he’d just plonk on the ground right inside. Probably wouldn’t make for the best first impression though. 

“..spoil sport.”

Nihlus chuckled to himself, giving him a pitying pat on the shoulder as he passed. He touched the green lock on the door in front of him and they instantly whooshed open, unveiling the impressive cockpit inside. The pilot’s chair swivelled around, revealing a particularly proud looking human. 

“Wow..” 

His eyes danced over the consoles, the targeting systems, the **huge** windows. Spirits, the view was going to be amazing during space flight.

“Right?” the pilot beamed. “Pretty sweet, huh?” 

“I’ll say..” he replied, still a little distracted. He gestured towards the co-pilot’s chair. “May I?”

The pilot shrugged in response. Although humans still seemed so new to him, it was reassuring to see them using familiar gestures. 

“Sure. She’s your ship.”

_**My** ship. This doesn’t seem real. _

He took a seat beside the pilot, letting out an ‘aaah' of pure contentment. The seats were incredibly comfortable, nothing like the ones on the Invictus. These were closer to what he'd expect to find on a luxury cruiser or something. He could just picture himself sitting in one of these in a classy lounge bar, nursing a glass of the finest turian brandy. 

“I could certainly get used to this,” he said blissfully. “So, I’m assuming you’re Flight-Lieutenant Moreau?”

“The one and only.”

The pilot held out his hand in greeting and Garrus accepted the gesture, but took extra care with this human. In his dossier, he remembered reading about his disease. His bones were extremely fragile and prone to breaking easily. Probably why they went to such efforts to make the cockpit so comfortable. Initially, Garrus had wondered why he had been selected out of all the Alliance pilots available, given his condition. Handicapped turians were rarely given such opportunities, if they were even allowed to join the military. However, after reading up about him, he understood. The Flight-Lieutenant had shot through flight school way ahead of everyone else, in theory _and_ practical training. He may not be much use on the field but, he genuinely was the best pilot in the Alliance. 

“Everyone calls me Joker though. So, what should I call you.. Spectre? Captain?”

“He likes ‘Gar-bear’.”

Garrus looked over at Nihlus, shaking his head tiresomely. He acted like such a fledgling sometimes, it was hard to believe he was so widely renown for his good deeds. 

“Ignore him. Just Garrus is fine.”

“Cool. Thanks, boss. So, do you know where you wanna go?”

As the pilot spoke, he swivelled his chair back around and began typing commands into the consoles surrounding him. 

“Providing we have the necessary fuel and supplies; Omega.”

Joker ceased what he was doing upon hearing their destination, he looked over and appeared to be confused. Or hungry, maybe? Human expressions were so hard to read without subharmonics to go with them. 

“I mean.. yeah, we have everything we need. We were just waiting for you to arrive. But.. isn’t Omega supposed to be a hell hole full of criminals? Why the hell would you choose to go _there_ for our maiden voyage?”

Definitely confusion then. Fully justified, in this instance. Garrus huffed out a breath, pulling himself out of the chair. He began pacing back and forth slowly. 

_Spirits. How am I supposed to answer that, when I feel the same damn way?_

“We’re going there to find your Executive Officer,” Nihlus explained. 

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold up,” Joker snickered, raising a hand to cut him off before looking directly at Garrus. “Are you saying we’re going to _Omega_ to find the person you want to leave in charge of the Normandy when you’re not around? You know, for the race meant to have the best military strategy in the galaxy, you guys have some stupid ideas.” 

Garrus found himself laughing, despite himself. On a turian ship, a subordinate would never dream of speaking to their superior like that. But, then again, he wasn’t exactly a good turian. Never had been. He liked this human. Ready to speak his mind, regardless of who he was talking to. It was quite refreshing.

“I actually agree with you, Joker. But, we're not going there to recruit some Omega thug. We’re supposedly going to find ‘the best the Alliance has to offer' ..who just happens to be there.” 

“Uh huh,” the pilot drawled sceptically, rolling his eyes. “And who might that be? Pretty sure most of us are already on this ship.”

“Commander Shepard,” Nihlus answered.

The pilot perked up at that.

“Wait a minute.. Eva? _That’s_ who we're going for? So they finally found her..” he said quietly. He sounded.. relieved. “What the hell is she doing on Omega?”

“I have no idea.. but, if you’re on first name terms with her, you must know her personally?”

Joker went quiet for a moment, a small smile spreading across his features.

“Yeah, we’ve been friends a long time. Pretty much since the day she enlisted. We’ve always looked out for each other.”

“If that’s the case, how is it that you don’t know why she left?” 

“I never said that,” Joker shrugged. “I just don’t know why the hell she would go to that shithole.”

“Admiral Anderson thinks she might have gone there so she could go into hiding,” Nihlus offered.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Joker said solemnly, removing his cap to run his fingers through his short, mousey hair. 

“Then why did she leave?” 

“Look, Captain," Joker sighed. "I don’t really feel comfortable hanging out dirty laundry that isn’t mine, ya know? Shepard's been through a lot. More than one person should. So, let’s just say.. she left because she needed to. If you wanna know more, you can ask her yourself. I’ll set a course for Omega. With the Normandy’s speed, we should be there within the week.”

Garrus was admittedly a little taken aback. Especially once the pilot turned himself around to get back to work, essentially putting an end to the matter. In theory, he could just order Joker to tell him but, that didn’t really sit right with him either.

The ship began to come to life as the pilot worked his magic. Garrus could feel the vibrations beneath his feet. Hear the thrum of the engines. 

_This is really it._

“Very well, Joker. Carry on,” Garrus said, making his way towards the doors. 

The pilot didn’t say any more, vaguely waving them off as he worked. Garrus and Nihlus left the cockpit, walking down the bridge towards the CIC. 

“I like him,” Garrus chirped once safely out of earshot.

“Thought you might. You’re kindred spirits.. he’s a pain in the ass as well,” Nihlus teased, earning a shove from Garrus. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the ship.”


	3. Our Good Friend Paul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying it so far! The pace is going to pick up a little bit from the next chapter onwards, I just wanted you to get a feel of the new characters and the changes I've made.

“Mmph,” came Raelus muffled voice, attempting to speak with his mouth crammed full of food. He pointed to his plate, purring contently. “ _So_ good.”

Chellick stared at Raelus, looking a little horrified. If turians could go pale, his sandy plates and hide would be a very dismal shade of white by now. He eventually managed to tear his eyes away back to his own plate, pushing his food around aimlessly. 

“Spirits, why does he always have to eat like that?” 

“I think it’s just the effect Aurelio’s cooking has on him,” Garrus offered, chuckling to himself as he finished his own meal.

Raelus nodded enthusiastically, chomping away at what was left in his mouth so he could chime in. 

“Ohh yeah, that beautiful man is a master in the kitchen! Thank the spirits that he was able to come with us. Could you imagine going back to those dextro pastes after having Aurelio on the Invictus with us for all that time?”

Garrus shuddered at the thought, as did his friends. Dextro pastes were the usual go-to rations for turian ships. Tubes of awful, grey, grainy stuff with varying degrees of blandness. It was strange that something with so little flavour could taste so disgusting.. but, spirits, they really were disgusting. Luckily, the Invictus had Aurelio. He wasn’t a fighter, not anymore. He did his time in the military when he was young, as all turians did. Now that he was in his later years, he just didn’t really have it in him. However, he was an absolutely incredible chef. Blessed with a natural gift that turned standard cooking into culinary art. Given that he could cook both dextro _and_ levo food, it was pretty damn easy to convince the Primarch to let him join the Normandy. 

“Where is he, anyway?” Chellick pondered, looking around the practically deserted Mess Hall. “Where is.. everyone? We’ve been on the ship for nearly a week now and I don’t think I’ve seen even half of the crew yet.” 

“Don’t forget that this is still unknown territory for everyone,” said Nihlus. “It’s gonna take some time before people feel comfortable around one another.” 

“True. The Yeoman seems nice though. She's so friendly.”

"See, didn't I tell you there'd be some pretty distractions here?"

"That's not what I meant, Rae," Chellick sulked. 

"Well, the humans down in Engineering are _fantastic_. Really know their stuff. I can tell Donnelly and Daniels are still a little cautious around me but, Engineer Adams isn’t phased at all. Spirits, I could listen to him talk about that drive core all day. The guy's a genius! If only there were some way we could give him EDI’s voice..”

“How are you feeling about EDI now, Gar-bear?” Nihlus asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Well, a little heads up would have been nice, Nih,” he grumbled. “But, I had a look at the programming and restrictions for its AI shackles. They seem pretty solid. Plus, EDI can analyse any changes I make to the weapons systems almost instantly. It’s already saved me a lot of time. I’ll admit, an AI on board has its perks. Although, it could be another reason for people feeling a little uneasy around here..”

Nihlus let out a sceptical hum as he stood. He began collecting everyone’s empty plates from the table before taking them over to the kitchen sink.

“Maybe. I think the main issue is that the Normandy is solely under turian command. For now, anyway. Not only is there two turian Spectres on board but, one of them is their CO. I think it’s making the humans on the crew feel on edge. With any luck, once Shepard is on board, things will be a little more balanced and people might start to relax a bit.”

“Who?” Chellick asked.

“Commander Shepard,” Garrus explained. “She’s an ex-Alliance soldier. The Alliance Admirals and the Primarch want her as XO of the Normandy. That’s why we’re heading for Omega, to find her.”

“Urm.. pardon me..” came a husky male voice from behind him. “Did you just say we’re going to find Commander Shepard?”

“Eavesdropping are we, Lieutenant Alenko?” Nihlus teased, chirruping in amusement. 

Garrus turned in his chair to face the human. Even though he was no expert, he could easily tell the guy felt embarrassed and awkward just by looking at him. Gaze fixed firmly on the floor, rubbing his upper arm like a nervous tick. The biotic generally seemed fairly quiet and reserved, still a little wary around his new shipmates. However, he’d made a conscious effort to show his face relatively often since they’d boarded. He was trying, at least.

“I.. uh.. sorry..” the human stuttered. “I wasn’t specifically listening. I just couldn’t help but overhear you guys talking an-“

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Nihlus erupted with laughter at the sight of the flustered, babbling human.

“Leave him be,” Garrus snapped over his shoulder. “It’s fine, Lieutenant. Everyone will be finding out soon anyhow. Yes, we’re going to find Shepard.”

“We’re going to get Lola?” came another, deeper voice. 

The bulk of human came to stand beside the much leaner biotic, crossing his huge, muscular arms across his broad chest. He reminded Garrus of his friend, Fabus. The same over the top muscles. The same macho bravado. In fact, slap some grey plates on him, paint some purple clan markings on there, and it would be hard to tell the difference between the two. He was always down in the Shuttle Bay working out, to the point where it was probably more of an obsession but, he seemed the most at ease out of all the humans on the crew. 

“’Lola’, Lieutenant Vega?”

“Yeah. You said Commander Shepard, right?” 

“I did. I thought her name was Eva?”

“Her name ain’t actually Lola,” Vega chuckled. “She just looks like one.”

“How can a person look like a name?” Chellick asked, furrowing his brow plates.

“I dunno,” Vega said, shrugging his shoulders. “They just do. Take Spectre Vakarian here.. could you imagine him being called.. I dunno.. Paul?”

A momentary silence hung in the air as everyone pondered the thought. Suddenly, the Mess Hall erupted with the sound of Raelus and Nihlus' cackling. All eyes in the room firmly fixed on them as they doubled over in uncontrollable laughter.

“ **Paul** **Vakarian!** ” Nihlus cried between laughing breaths, slamming his hand down on the table. Raelus clutched at his chest as he threw his head back in hysterics.

“Yeah, you’re right..” Chellick mumbled. “That _is_ weird.”

Chellick’s mandibles fluttered gently as his subharmonics sang in amusement. Garrus rewarded him with a swift kick to the shin beneath the table. 

“Told ya,” said Vega.

“Are you two done?” Garrus scolded, looking at the two turians still chuckling away.

He gave them both a glaring look and a subtle growl he hoped would get the point across. The laughter swiftly dulled down to quiet snickers, easing to smirking smiles and little amused chirrups. 

“So.. you both know Shepard as well then?” 

“I don’t know her personally,” Alenko said, appearing considerably more relaxed than he had been. “But, she's quite well known within the Alliance. In fact.. she's a bit of a legend.” 

“Really? How come?” Chellick asked. 

Garrus gestured towards the empty chairs, inviting the humans to join them at the table.

“Well.. we trained together back in basic for a while,” Vega said, taking a seat beside Raelus. “Dios mio, that woman could handle a gun like nobodies business..” 

“She's the youngest Alliance soldier to earn the Commander rank _and_ complete the N7 program,” Kaidan gushed, sitting next to Chellick. “She even beat Admiral Anderson and he was the very first N7. There were.. other rumours too..”

“What kind of rumours?” Garrus asked curiously. 

“Well..” Kaidan pondered, going quiet for a couple of moments. “There was one about a merc base.. Eclipse, I think? They had a stronghold on Trebin an-"

“Nah, you got it all wrong, amigo,” Vega interjected, propping his elbows up on the table. “I heard it was a Blue Suns hideout on Korlus.”

“Maybe,” Kaidan said, shrugging a shoulder. “Anyway.. apparently, she took out the whole base almost singlehandedly. Including their leader. She had.. what.. one other soldier with her? Maybe two, I can’t remember..”

“Spirits..” Chellick gasped. “That’s impressive.”

“So the rumours say. Wasn’t there one about a doctor who turned out to be a cannibal or something?”

“He wasn’t a cannibal, Vega. He was performing messed up experiments on people and killing them,” Kaidan corrected. “Apparently it all started on the Citadel but, the doctor took hostages and escaped the station. C-Sec couldn’t do anything more so, Shepard hunted him down herself. I think she saved all of the people he took as well.”

“Uh huh,” Garrus droned, not particularly convinced. “It's strange that these mysterious heroic deeds aren't more common knowledge.”

“That’s the weirdest thing about it,” Kaidan said. “No one has ever been able to find any official documented record of her. Even before she disappeared. Everything we know is based on scuttlebutt passed from unit to unit. Even an extranet search would come up dry.”

Hearing this, Garrus couldn't help but feel a hint of annoyance towards Admiral Hackett. How on Palaven was he supposed to have heard of this mystery woman who, for all intents and purposes, didn't even seem to exist? If it wasn't for Nihlus, he probably wouldn't even believe she was real at this point. 

“Yeah,” Garrus grumbled. “I couldn’t find anything on her either.”

“No one knows why.. apparently anyone who asked questions back then was reprimanded for it.” 

“This is like some big conspiracy,” Raelus chirped. “I love it.”

“Well, I still don’t buy it,” Garrus said sceptically, getting to his feet. He made his way over to the fridge and rummaged through to find enough dextro and levo beers for everyone. “I’m sure she’s a highly skilled soldier but, don't you think it’s possible that these stories could have been blown out of proportion as they’ve been passed along? You said it yourself, everything you know is based on hearsay, right?”

He wondered back to the table, sitting beside Nihlus as he handed out the beers.

“I guess..” Kaidan mumbled. 

“What do you think, Nihlus?” Chellick asked. 

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” he shrugged, taking a swig of his beer. “Garrus is stubborn. He isn’t gonna change his mind until he sees for himself. All I will say is; Shepard is the only human to ever be reviewed for Spectre candidacy. No human before or since has even been considered for the role..” 

“Wow,” Kaidan gushed. “The first human Spectre? That’s quite an honour.”

“Maybe it’s all true, maybe it isn’t. All I know is, Lola's a damn good soldier. It’ll be good to have her around. You can tell her there’s a spare bunk next to mine with her name on it.”

“As much as she would obviously _love_ that..” Nihlus droned sarcastically. “It won't be necessary. Shepard has her own cabin on the upper floor.” 

The way the Lieutenant looked at Garrus, he may as well have told him that he was sleeping in the damn airlock from now on.

“Wait, you guys have a private floor?” 

“Apparently so.”

He still wasn’t too sure what to make of _that_ particular situation. Thankfully, they both had separate quarters. All they would _really_ be sharing is the hallway between the elevator and their cabins. But the thought of being so up close and personal with this stranger was a little.. uncomfortable. This past week, he'd had the entire floor to himself and the privacy had been sheer bliss. But what about if.. _when_.. Shepard does join? No doubt she’ll feel just as uneasy about it.

“Do I detect a little jealousy there, Lieutenant?” Raelus chirped mischievously. 

“Ha, nah.. I'm just playin’, amigo. I guess I should have known the boss would hog all the eye candy to himself,” Vega teased, nudging Raelus' arm. 

“What’s ‘eye candy'?” Chellick asked hesitantly. “You don’t actually put it in your eyes, do you?” 

“Eye candy is a term humans sometimes use to describe someone who's.. well..” 

The biotic paused as he tried to find the right words to use.

“..smokin' hot,” Vega finished. 

“..not the way I would have put it but, essentially, yeah.”

“So.. Shepard's hot, huh?” Raelus purred. 

“Ohhhh yeah,” Vega teased, flashing the turian a huge smirking smile.

“Lieutenant, you’ve just made my day.. and luckily for us, our good friend Paul over there isn’t interested in ‘alien encounters'.”

“..don't call me that.” 

“Uh.. not into what now?” 

“Gar-bear is strictly turian women only,” Nihlus chirped, wrapping an arm around Garrus’ shoulders.

 _Spirits, not this again._

“Wait, seriously?” 

“It’s not unusual for people to only be attracted to their own species, Vega,” Kaidan chuckled. 

“Spirits, _finally_ someone gets it! Thank you, Lieutenant,” Garrus exclaimed, raising his bottle towards him. Kaidan followed suit, clinking their drinks together in cheers. “I don’t see what the big deal is. What about you, Vega, hmm? Are _you_ into turian women?” 

“That depends.. we including the one who’s always working out down in the training area with Mr Muscles?”

_By the spirits, he really is just a human Fabus._

“That’s Caenia,” Chellick answered. “She and Fabus are bondmates. They’ve been keeping to themselves mostly but, they’re awesome once you get to know them.”

“Fabus?”

“That’s Mr Muscles,” Raelus chuckled. “So, Caenia is off limits I’m afraid, Lieutenant. Unless you want to become his new training dummy. Anyway, enough of that. Tell me more about our future XO..”

Garrus huffed out an exasperated breath, running his hand down the length of his fringe. As if it wasn’t going to be hard enough convincing Shepard to join without these horny idiots scaring her off. That’s if he can even find her..


	4. Cherry Bomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working out certain terms for things so, I'll just make them up if I can't find them online. 
> 
> *ODC = Omega Day Cycle  
> *cithara = guitar

Omega was known by many names. To the asari; The Heart of Evil. The krogan considered it ‘The Land of Opportunity’ and the salarians called it ‘The Place of Secrets'. To the turians, however, it was simply ‘The World without Law'. Fitting. Each of them were, in their own way. It was the Terminus Systems' dark, twisted counterpart to the Citadel. A haven for the galaxy's criminals, terrorists and malcontents. 

As they walked through the dingy, poorly lit streets, the atmosphere of this station hung in the air around them. Garrus could feel it, like a dank muskiness seeping between his plates. The entire station was shrouded in an ominous, crimson hue. It wasn’t warm or comforting like that of Palaven's skies at sunset. It was garish. Made him feel edgy. The ambience reflected the sins that occurred here.. and there were many. 

_Spirits, why did Shepard come here of all places? What does it say about this so called ‘legend’ that she chose this cesspit to retire to?_

Though Omega had no civilian government and no official ruler, it _did_ have Aria T'Loak. The asari was fairly renown, even outside of the Terminus Systems, and the self dubbed ‘Pirate Queen' was the top of the food chain here. Apparently, she had eyes and ears all over the station. Nothing slipped under her radar. So, Nihlus had brought them to a club, Afterlife, before they began their hunt for Shepard. They had come to present themselves to Aria, which was supposedly the necessary protocol. Before they could make their way in, Nihlus ushered them all to one side, away from prying eyes and ears.

“Now, remember.. when we meet with Aria, let _me_ do the talking. Understood?” 

“Why are we even going to see the asari?” Fabus grumbled in his hoarse, krogan-like voice. “Thought we were looking for a human.” 

“We are. I don’t like it either but, Aria is cunning, selfish and powerful. A dangerous combination. I wouldn’t be surprised if she already knows we're here. If she finds out why, she might tip Shepard off just to screw us over. By going to see her, she’ll feel like we're paying her the respect she believes she’s due. Should make our jobs a little easier.. in theory.”

“What if she doesn’t know Shepard’s here?” Raelus asked.

“Nothing happens on this station without Aria knowing about it,” Nihlus said, glancing over his shoulder at the club. “No. If Shepard's here, Aria will know.” 

The four of them approached the entrance to Afterlife. As they climbed the steps, the batarian bouncer guarding the doors spotted them and began typing into his Omni-Tool.

“Go on in,” he rumbled as the lock flashed to green. “Aria's expecting you.” 

Nihlus gave a single nod in reply before they all went through the doors, making their way down the little tunnelled walkway towards the interior entrance to the club. 

“Just as you said..” 

“Gar-bear, I wouldn’t be surprised if our ‘Pirate Queen’ knew we were here before we'd even docked.” 

They stopped just in front of the next set of doors, a dulled pumping of music coming from the other side of it. 

“Ready?” Nihlus asked, looking over his shoulder. 

His teammates simply chirruped in reply, the three of them feeling cautious and curious as to what awaited them on the other side of those doors. 

As soon as they were inside, Garrus’ senses were instantly overwhelmed with the booming music, the beaming strobe lights and the classic nightclub aromas of booze, sweat and sex. It wasn’t even that far into the day cycle and the club was already heaving. 

_Spirits, what’s it like here at night?_

He followed Nihlus through the mass of bodies all writhing on the dancefloor. Not the easiest feat, given how crowded it was. Luckily, being so tall and broad had its perks. As they ventured further in, a pretty little asari waitress weaved through the crowd towards them, wearing a tiny leather outfit that left little to the imagination. She winked at them as she passed, a tray of fresh drinks in hand.

“Spirits,” Raelus purred, turning on the spot to admire her as she sauntered away. “Starting to think Shepard might have been onto something coming here..” 

“Don’t say that name in here,” Garrus chided. “We don’t know who could be listening.”

“Sorry, mum.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment," he teased. "Your mother is a wonderful woman.”

They continued up a small flight of stairs and Garrus could feel the watchful eyes of the batarian guard nearby. His relentless glaring didn’t feel particularly welcoming. Not necessarily surprising, batarians didn’t exactly give off a friendly vibe to begin with. Suddenly, he crashed into Nihlus and stumbled slightly. He'd been too distracted by the unsettling guard to notice the barricade of armoured turians and batarians blocking their path.

After a few moments, an authoritative female voice came from behind the guards, calling them off. The guards parted to either side, revealing the Pirate Queen herself, stretched out leisurely on a sofa. She had her very own private platform, it was a perfect vantage point to see across the entire club. As they ventured further in, even though she hadn’t said a word yet, Garrus could already feel her arrogance practically oozing across the space. He watched as she got to her feet, taking slow, steady strides towards them. 

“Well, well, well,” the asari said in a cold, quiet voice. “Nihlus Kryik. Should have known it wouldn’t be long before I saw you again. I see you brought a little Spectre playmate this time, too?” 

“It's been at least a couple of years since I was last here, Aria. It’s okay to admit that you missed me.”

“I’m over one thousand years old, Nihlus,” she scoffed. “Such a trivial amount of time means nothing to me.” 

“Well.. you don’t look a day over 999.” 

“Still think yourself a comedian, I see. Cute.”

She approached the transparent balusters surrounding her little VIP area and leaned against the railings, looking out across the dancefloor like a queen surveying her kingdom.

“I’m in no mood for your little games today, Nihlus. So, speak plainly. What are you doing on Omega?”

“Spectre business,” he replied, folding his arms across his chest.

She chuckled to herself, though there was no joy in it, glancing back over her shoulder with cold, dark eyes.

“Oh, you’re going to have to do a little better than that, I’m afraid.”

He knew he would have to deal with the consequences of going against Nihlus' orders but, they really didn’t have time for this. Nor did he have the patience for it. He took a step towards the asari, stopping in his tracks when her guards started raising their guns. He took the hint not to push his luck. 

“We’re looking for Commander Shepard. We heard that she was here.”

He noticed her grip tighten on the railings. Her fists clenched unconsciously and her heartrate on his visor increased imperceptibly. It happened so fast that he almost didn’t catch it. _Almost_. A low growl rumbled in Nihlus' chest, no doubt he'd get an earful for this once the meeting was done. 

“Shepard?” Aria asked casually, returning to her spot on the sofa. “What in the Goddess' name could be so important that you came all this way for one retired soldier?”

“Spectre business,” Nihlus said again, a severity in his tone that said he wasn’t playing around. The snarl lingering beneath his words told Garrus not to say anymore than he already had. 

She went quiet, sizing up each of them in turn with a subtle sneer upon her lips, waiting to see if anyone else would crack. None of them did.

“Of course. Well, she _was_ here but, I’m afraid she left about a month ago. Boarded a ship headed for.. Ilium, wasn’t it, Bray?” 

“Right,” came the gravelly voice of one of her batarian guards. His focus stayed fixed on his Omni-Tool as he typed away for a minute or two. “Here it is. The MSV Aurelie, shipped out just over a month ago.” 

“Thank you, Bray,” Aria said with that same sneering smile. “That is unfortunate. Though, from what I understand, that new ship of yours should be more than capable of getting you there quickly. You may still be able to catch her, providing she hasn’t moved on already.”

“You know about the Normandy?”

“Oh my,” she snickered. “You really are new to this, aren’t you?”

She stood up, approaching Garrus with that same arrogant stride. He'd heard tales of the asari's allure, he guessed he could kind of see it. Power and confidence, a strong aphrodisiac for the weaker mind. But, in his opinion, she was just exhausting. He wished he could tell her exactly what he thought but, that wasn’t going to help their cause any.

“My reach extends far beyond Omega, little Spectre,” she boasted, circling him like a predator. As if he couldn’t tear her apart with his bare hands if given the chance. “I have eyes all across the galaxy. I know things you couldn’t possibly imagine. And as they say; knowledge _is_ power.” 

Garrus was just about to defy his better judgment and give this stuck up asari a piece of his mind, when he felt Nihlus’ hand on his shoulder.

“Well, Aria,” Nihlus began. “If Shepard is no longer on this station then we won’t take up any more of your time. With your permission, we’ll remain docked here while we restock our fuel and provisions for the journey.”

If Garrus didn’t know better, he’d think she _wanted_ him to try something. Like she was goading him. Upon hearing Nihlus speak, she smiled triumphantly and took a step back. 

“By all means. I wouldn’t linger too long, however. The longer you’re here, the lesser your chances of finding her. Do try to leave it a little longer before your next return, Nihlus. Your presence here tends to make my citizens.. uncomfortable.”

Nihlus gave a single nod in reply before silently prompting for his teammates to follow him out. They departed from the queen’s court, heading back down the stairs towards the dancefloor.

“Oh,” Aria shouted after them. “When you do find Shepard, be sure to give her my best.”

They didn’t bother to look back. Wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. As they ventured further down the stairs, one of the turian guards grabbed Garrus’ arm to get his attention. He must have snuck out behind them without them realising. 

“Can I help you?” Garrus snapped. 

He tried to suppress the angered growl he could feel growing in his chest. This whole endeavour had rubbed him up the wrong way. 

“Cherry bomb,” the guard whispered, leaning in close. At least.. that’s what he thought he said. 

_That can’t have been right, can it?_

“I’m sorry.. what?”

The guard didn’t repeat himself, mainly because he didn’t hang around long enough to do so. He rushed down the stairs and scurried off in the opposite direction. By the time Garrus got there, the guard had already disappeared amongst the sea of people.

_Is everyone here so fucking crazy?_

“What did he say to you?” Raelus asked once they’d finally caught up to him. 

“He said.. you know what? Never mind. Spirits, that was weird. This whole damn station is weird. Let’s just head back to the ship.” 

With the meeting concluded, they left the club and made their way towards the Docking Bay. They eventually found themselves on a quiet, deserted street and figured they could finally speak freely.

“Well, that was a complete waste of time,” Fabus grumbled.

“Not necessarily,” Garrus countered. “Didn’t you see Aria’s reaction when we asked about Shepard?”

“He’s right,” Nihlus added. “I’m still not happy about you going against my orders, Garrus. You let Aria get inside your head and play you like a cithara. However, if you hadn’t, we may not have gotten our lead.”

“What lead?”

“Shepard’s here, Fabus,” Garrus said. “She’s on Omega. Now we just need to find out where.”

“Didn’t the asari just tell us that the human went to Ilium?”

“She did," Nihlus nodded. "She was lying. Didn’t you see her panic when Garrus mentioned Shepard’s name? After that, she was desperate to get rid of us.. and what she said; ‘The longer you’re here, the lesser your chances of finding her’ ..giving helpful advice isn’t exactly Aria’s style.”

“Why would she lie?” Raelus asked.

“Maybe she’s protecting the human..”

“No, I don’t –“ 

Nihlus ceased talking when a stumbling, drunk salarian staggered towards them. He shoved his way between them to get past, mumbling incoherently. 

“I don’t think so,” he continued once the coast was clear. “Aria only protects her own interests.”

Garrus was about to offer an idea, but his Omni-Tool pinged with an incoming message. It was strange, the software it was using was different to the standard program everyone used. In fact, he couldn’t recall ever seeing it before. It was encrypted too. He wanted to ignore it but, the subject title read ‘Shepard’.. he just had to know what it was. For him, hacking through the encryption to get into the software was child’s play. After a few short moments, the screen displayed **‘ACCESS CONFIRMED’** in big, bold letters before revealing the message..

_(* ?.?: – Why are you looking for Shepard? *)_

“Hold up,” he said to his team, all of which had ventured further up the street, having not noticed he’d stopped. “I may have something here.”

_(* G.V: - Who’s asking? *)_

“What is it?” Nihlus asked.

“Hang on..”

_(* ?.?: - Call me ‘Cherry bomb’. *)_

_(* G.V: - Wait, you’re the guard from the club? *)_

“I think.. it’s that weird turian from Afterlife..” Garrus said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“What? Why? What does he want?”

“I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out.”

_(* ?.?: - Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn’t risk talking to you in person in case it got back to Aria. This is an encrypted server, these messages are untraceable. So, why are Spectres looking for Shepard? *)_

It was a mild relief to get some form of explanation about what had to be one of the most bizarre encounters he'd ever had. Still, he didn’t entirely trust this guys motives.

_(* G.V: - How do I know Aria hasn’t put you up to this? *)_

_(* ?.?: - You really think I would go to these lengths to make sure our conversation was private if I were doing this for Aria? Shepard is a friend of mine, I’m making sure she isn’t in danger. *)_

“He says he’s a friend of Shepard’s. I dunno, he’s gone to great lengths to cover his tracks with these messages, Nih. I.. I think he could be telling the truth.”

“Garrus, just.. be careful here. If you’re wrong, we could lose any chance of finding her.”

“Noted.”

He felt so torn. His gut was telling him to believe this turian but, Nihlus was right. If he _was_ being played, the entire mission could fall through. He took a deep breath, weighing his options.

_Screw it, I never was one for playing it safe anyway._

_(* G.V: - She isn’t. Not from us, anyway. We came here to recruit her. *)_

“I hope you’re right about this, Garrus.”

“Me too,” he replied, laughing awkwardly. His Omni-Tool chimed with another incoming message.

_(* ?.?: - Recruit her for what exactly? *)_

_Here we go,_ he thought to himself. _Moment of truth._

_(* G.V: - Alright, I’m gonna be honest with you, Cherry Bomb.. but if this turns out to be some kind of trick, just remember I know where to find you.*)_

_(* ?.?: - I could say the same applies to you, Spectre. *)_

_(* G.V: - That’s.. comforting. Anyway, the Citadel Council wants an official peace treaty between turians and humans. The Primarch's been working on a project with the Alliance to make that happen. So, I was selected to be the CO of a new ship and a new elite squad. The best soldiers from the Alliance and the turian military were chosen to join my crew. It seemed best to have a human as my XO, the Alliance Admirals leading the project requested Shepard specifically. That’s why we’re here. *)_

“Spirits, Garrus,” Nihlus snapped, peering at the message. “Why don’t you send him the access codes to the ship while you’re at it?” 

“Why, what did he say?” Raelus asked.

“It would probably save me time if I just tell you what he _didn’t_ say,” Nihlus growled, shaking his head. 

“Very funny. I’m not gonna stand around trying to pry information from him all day, Nih. He’s helping us or he’s playing us. Either way, I’d rather deal with it now.”

Another ping from an incoming message.

_(* ?.?: - What if she doesn’t want to join you? *)_

_(* G.V: - That’s her call. We'll respect her decision. We’ll leave you all to your little slice of paradise here and pretend this never happened. *)_

“He doesn’t sound particularly friendly..” Raelus mused, now also reading the conversation.

“I think he’s –“

He abruptly stopped talking when he received another message, although this one had attachments included.

_(* ?.?: - I’ve sent you a map of the Lamia Ward down by the Marketplace. The whole area is under quarantine from a plague outbreak. A salarian doctor set up a clinic there to treat the people who've gotten sick but, he's figured out a cure. Shepard’s going there tomorrow to help him release it. Around 1200 ODC. I’ve marked the clinic’s location on the map. Word of warning - this plague is fatal to everyone except humans and vorcha. I’d be careful who you send in there. If you’re gonna do this, when you reach the clinic, ask for Mordin Solus. He's the one you want to talk to. *)_

“Spirits, this just gets better and better,” he huffed, running his hand along his fringe.

The other three turians gathered round to read the message. They didn’t seem too keen about it either.

“Well, you can count me out,” Fabus grumbled. 

“I’ll go,” Raelus chirped. “I can boost the filtration systems in our helmets. As long as we keep them on, it should do the trick.”

“I don’t see that we have much choice, we've come this far,” he said before typing out his reply.

_(* G.V: - Thank you for this. You’ve saved us a lot of time, I appreciate it. *)_

_(* ?.?: - Just keep this to yourself. For both our sakes. If Aria finds out I went behind her back, I’ll be wishing for death. And if Shepard finds out you’re looking for her, she’ll make a run for it and you’ll never find her. I don’t know if she’ll agree to join you. Spirits, I don’t even want her to go but, she deserves a better life than this place can give her. If I find out you’ve harmed her in any way.. well, let’s just say that even your fancy ship won’t stop me from tracking you down. *)_

_(* G.V: - Noted. Thanks again, Cherry Bomb. *)_

“So.. what do we do now?” Fabus asked as they neared the Docking Bay.

“Well, we have a little over 24 hours before the mission. I’d say a little shore leave is in order, don’t you think?”

“Now you’re talkin’..”


	5. Well, I'll be Damned

Spirits, what a night. Not everyone on the crew had jumped at the chance of some shore leave, Omega was definitely an acquired taste. Some simply chose to enjoy their free time from the safe confines of the ship. The rest, however, had spent the evening at Afterlife to share drinks and swap stories. It had been fun, plenty of banter. Admittedly, a little awkward at first. It was going to take more than one night out to make everyone feel completely at ease around one another. But, it was a start, at least. 

Now, however, Garrus was alone. Those who hadn’t snuck away with their new flame for the night had made their way back to the Normandy, to rest up for the mission ahead. He probably should have done the same, he just wanted a little time to himself. Not something that was easy to come by these days. 

He’d moved down to the lower floor of the club, it was considerably calmer than the upper level and the music didn’t penetrate the ear quite so forcefully. He sat at the bar, gazing into his brandy as he swirled it around within his glass. He wasn’t quite sure how long he stayed like that. Just enjoying a rare chance at some headspace from his crazy life. 

_Spirits, if my father could see me now,_ he thought to himself. _He'd grab me by the fringe and drag my ass straight back to Palaven._

As he looked around, he realised this place didn’t seem all that different from Chora's Den. It looked nicer at a glance, but it was just as sleazy. 

Over in the far corner, a turian sat in his own booth, practically eye fucking the asari dancer sprawled across his table. The neck of his tunic was particularly high, something mated turians were known to do to hide their bond marks while they played away.

A group of human males were gathered in a booth at the opposite end of the room, all of them appearing just a little _too_ drunk. A waitress approached them with a tray of drinks, placing them on the table. One particular human caught his eye, he appeared to be wearing nothing but leather from head to toe and the sleazy look in his eye gave the impression that he belonged in a place like this. Sure enough, as the asari started to walk away, he slapped her ass with everything he had. 

_What an asshole._

His friends cheered him for the deed while the waitress did her best to keep her composure and just keep walking. But Garrus caught that look on her face; anger and regret. That momentary flash of ‘what the hell am I even doing here?’. He felt bad for her, wondering what could lead someone to accept such a life. What if Shepard was working as a waitress here now? From famed Alliance legend to getting your ass slapped by some creepy waste of space. He hoped that wasn’t the case.

The thunderous snore of the sleeping krogan beside him brought him out of his thoughts. Passed out after one too many ryncols, judging by the overpowering odour radiating off him. He shuddered slightly when the slumberous form huffed a particularly heavy breath his way, the smell hitting him like he'd just been slapped in the face with a dead varren. Doing his best not to gag, he crept off of the stool to move a few seats further down wind. Although, he had a horrible feeling that the stench had already seeped into his plates, doomed to smell like garbage and dead things forever. 

As he took to his new seat, he waved the bartender over for a refill. While he waited, his eyes landed on a very peculiar and particularly amusing sight. 

Sat across from him, a pale skinned young woman was vigorously typing away into her Omni-Tool with a look of pure determination on her face. Her short, dark fringe obscured some of her features but he could see her stubby, pink, human tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. He couldn’t help but laugh, his sister did the same thing when she was concentrating on something. What on Palaven was this woman doing that required such intense focus? Writing a novel? An angry email? If that’s the case, spirits help who ever receives it. That right there was the look of a woman on a mission. 

Apparently, it wasn’t only his attention that she’d caught. Out of nowhere, the leather clad creep from before popped up beside her. The way he leered at her was nothing short of cringeworthy, leaning right across the bar in a desperate attempt to get her attention. He said something to her, though Garrus couldn’t make it out over the music. Whatever it was, it didn’t do much good. The young woman hadn’t given him so much as a second glance. Gaze still firmly fixed on her Omni-Tool, her tongue still standing to attention. After a few moments, Mr Leather waved a hand in front of her face frantically. It obviously interrupted whatever she was doing.. her Omni-Tool screen closed, the tongue retreated and she looked _pissed_. 

_Looks like someone just made the angry email list._

He hadn’t realised how small the woman was until she hopped off the stool and didn’t stand that much taller than the bar. Maybe 5’4".. 5’5" at most. Still, she didn’t back down in front of the guy. She pointed an accusing finger in his face, and although Garrus couldn’t hear what she said, it wasn't particularly friendly judging by the guy’s reaction. As she stormed off, she shoved past him before disappearing into the crowd. Garrus decided he liked the strange little human.

It only took about five.. maybe ten seconds before Mr Leather's friends joined him at the bar. They briefly talked amongst one another until he pointed towards the other end of the club. On instinct, Garrus followed his line of sight and saw the petite woman heading towards the exit. By the time he looked back at the group, they were already heading the same way.

_That.. can’t be good._

He told himself it had to be a coincidence. She just happened to be leaving when they decided to call it a night. No big deal. Although, the feeling in his gut was telling him otherwise. No matter how stoic she may have seemed, she was still just a tiny young woman. There were at least six of those guys, that he knew of. Maybe it really _was_ nothing. But, what if it were Solana? What if she was in trouble and someone had the chance to help her, but did nothing? 

_Damn it._

With that, he chucked back his brandy and made a beeline for the exit. 

The smell that hit him as he burst through the doors was.. not that much different to the sleeping krogan, actually. There were vorcha, batarians, humans and the like all passed out in the alley, laying in spirits knows what. No sign of the woman though, or Mr Leather and his lackeys. 

He started to believe he had just been imagining it. A result of too much brandy and his brain never really being off the clock making him jump to conclusions. Right up until he heard a commotion on the other side of the doors ahead of him. He didn’t think twice, instantly rushing to join the fray, and found himself on a dark and dingy little back street. 

_Well, I’ll be damned.._

At the far end of the alley, a whimpering Mr Leather was pinned against the wall. She had his hands restrained behind his back, shoving his face firmly into the concrete. Meanwhile, the rest of his associates all lay strewn across the alley in various states of disarray. 

_Yep, definitely like her._

One of them came to, quietly getting to his feet. He clearly hadn’t noticed Garrus behind him, as he reached for some sort of metal bar on the ground nearby and stormed towards the woman who was otherwise preoccupied. 

_I guess that’s my cue._

Garrus stalked behind him, biding his time for the perfect moment. As the man crept closer to her, he slowly brought the metal bar over his shoulder, getting ready to strike. 

_Gotcha._

As soon as the guy moved to swing, Garrus grabbed the bar and gripped it as tight as he could. The sudden force made the man jolt forward and release his grip, immediately turning on the spot to work out what the hell just happened. 

“Who the fuck are you?” 

“Someone who doesn’t care much for your dirty fighting tactics,” he replied, eyeing the metal bar in his hand as he slowly stepped closer. “Striking a woman while her back is turned? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just _shameful_.”

The commotion caught the attention of the young woman. A quick glance at the scene appeared to be all she needed to work out what had just transpired while her back was turned. She gave Garrus the most devious grin and that was pretty much all the go ahead he needed. He took that bar in both hands and smashed it across the guys face, and hot damn if it didn’t feel good. He chucked the bar to the ground, the metallic clang echoing throughout the alley.

“I highly recommend that you don’t get up again," he snarled, crouching down to the man's eye level.

He stepped over the man as he lay curled up on the ground, groaning in a state of delirium as he desperately tried to hold his face together. The young woman looked at Garrus again, giving him a single nod to which he returned in kind.

By this point, Mr Leather was visibly shaking. Good, so he damn well should be.

“Fuck! Look, I’m sorry, okay? It won’t happen again, I swear!” 

“You know, I’m just having a hard time believing you but, I could be biased,” she said with a sultry smokiness to her voice. 

“What do you think, Big Guy?” she said, looking at Garrus with her emerald eyes. “You’re the closest thing we have to a neutral party here.”

“Honestly? I’ve seen guys like this before and they never change. That being said, he’s shaking more than my 96 year old grandmother, so.. I’m at a loss here.” 

She burst out laughing at his remark and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“You’re funny, Blue. But, you’re right..” she said, pulling out a Phalanx pistol. “Guys like him _don’t_ change.” 

She held the gun to Mr Leather’s temple. Garrus was fairly certain he could smell urine now coming from the man but he sure as hell wasn’t going to check. He was trembling with fear, was she really going to do it? Garrus didn’t particularly care either way but, he was curious. 

“I.. I can.. I pr- promise,” the guy stuttered between whimpering sobs. 

His eyes were shut tight, too scared of potentially witnessing his own end. 

Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the space, even startling Garrus a little. But.. the guy was still alive. Terrified and _definitely_ crying now but, alive nonetheless. She had the gun aimed at the ceiling, just off to the side from where they stood. Fuck, how did she even move so fast? 

“I want you to remember this,” she said coldly, bringing the gun to his temple again. “I’m not sure if it was me or my new friend here that made you literally piss your pants in fear but, the next time you even _think_ of pulling a stunt like this, I want you to remember how you felt in this moment. If I find out that you, or any of your little pals here have so much as _looked_ at a woman the wrong way again, well.. let’s just say I won’t be aiming for the ceiling next time, you understand what I’m saying?” 

_Well, she definitely has a way with words._

He was apparently too terrified to speak, all he could muster was to nod frantically in reply. 

“Good,” she snapped. “Then I suggest you be on your way.”

She released him with a shove and he fell to the ground. Not wanting to waste any time by getting to his feet, he scurried off into the darkness on all fours in his panicked state. 

“Asshole,” she mumbled to herself, glaring after him as he left.

Garrus quickly appraised her while she was distracted. She really was tiny. Especially compared to him. It didn’t help that she wore a huge, baggy jumper that hung off her slim little frame and ended just above the knee. It made her look like a child in adults clothing. In fact, if it weren’t for the visible shapely curves of her chest, one could assume she was just a child, at a glance. How the hell had this woman managed to hold her own back there? The more he saw of her, the more curious he became. 

She turned to him with a genuine smile, the infectious kind that you couldn’t help but return. 

“I owe you one, Big Guy,” she said, walking towards him. “I was lucky you came along when you did. If you hadn’t, things could have gone down very differently. So, thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it. Looks like you were doing just fine without me though,” he said, looking around at the unconscious forms dotted throughout the space. 

“Yeah, but I got sloppy,” she said, shaking her head. “It was a stupid mistake.” 

“I think Mr Leather won the award for stupidest mistake today,” he teased. 

She snorted a laugh at that.

“Mr Leather,” she chuckled. “Yeah that was pretty weird, wasn’t it? Imagine the chafing..” 

“It's possible the urine may have alleviated that..”

“In that case, maybe he should be thanking us,” she joked. 

“Ha, yeah. Maybe he should.”

The laughter simmered down until an awkward silence hung in the air. He scratched his neck, trying to think of what to say.

“So.. where are you headed? Can’t imagine you just came to stand out here all night.” 

“I.. uh.. was hoping to get to the Docking Bay.”

He paused, looking around aimlessly.

"But, I have absolutely no idea where I am or how to get there. So, standing here all night might just be my Plan B.” 

“Well, I don’t live far from there, I was just heading home before.. you know," she said, gesturing to the chaos behind them. "I can take you, if you want?” 

“That would be great,” he chirped. “Thank you, uhh..” 

“I’m Ash,” she said, laughing a little.

She offered her tiny, pale hand and he accepted the greeting, his much larger hand practically engulfing hers as he lightly shook it. Her grip was actually surprisingly strong.

“Garrus Vakarian,” he replied. “Nice to meet you, Ash.”

“Garrus Vakarian,” she mused as they started walking. “That’s a cool name you got there, Blue.” 

The way his name sounded with that smokey voice, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it. 

“Blue?” he chuckled.

She pointed to his face, waving her finger around in circles.

“Your clan markings,” she explained. “I like them. Blue’s my favourite colour.” 

“Mine too,” he chirped. 

As they reached the next street, Garrus could tell that this was obviously the Marketplace. Rows of shuttered stores that had closed for the night, dimly lit bars and restaurants quieting down as they neared last call. The entrance to the Lamia Ward had to be somewhere nearby. He made a mental note to remember the rest of the route back for tomorrow. 

“So, how'd a girl like you learn to hold her own like that anyway?” 

“Oh. Y’know.. around,” she said vaguely, shrugging her shoulders.

“’Around’, huh? I think I did a little training there myself..” 

“I _knew_ I recognised you from somewhere.”

“What can I say? It’s hard to forget these devilish good looks.”

“Ass,” she snorted, shoving him playfully. “What did you mean by ‘a girl like me’ anyway?”

“Well, you’re just so.. tiny. It’s kind of adorable, actually.”

She stopped on the spot, turning to face him. Her arms folded across her chest as she sank into her hip. 

“Adorable? You realise I could probably take you just as easily as Mr Leather, right, Big Guy?” 

He took slow steps towards her, looming over her to the point where her neck had to bend back for her to meet his eye. 

“Is that so?” he purred, leaning in close. “Well, I would very much like to see you try.” 

Part of him actually wanted her to. He didn’t even want to hurt her but, there was something about Ash that made his talons itch. 

“You sure about that?” she said, raising one of her brows.

_She's a feisty little thing, that’s for sure._

He chuckled softly before taking a step back. 

“That depends.. are you gonna do that thing with your tongue? Because if you are, I won't be able to concentrate..”

Her eyes widened in surprise as her cheeks took on a rosy hue. He wasn’t entirely sure what that was all about. 

“..excuse me?” 

“You know..” 

He opened up his Omni-Tool and pretended to hammer away at it, sticking his tongue out as far as it would go. She tilted her head, looking at him like he’d just dribbled all over himself. 

“That was supposed to be you, back at the club..”

She threw her head back in laughter again and Garrus was really starting to enjoy the sound. 

“No way,” she said, still chuckling away. “Was I seriously doing that?” 

“Oh yeah,” he teased as they started to walk again. “Right up until Mr Leather came along.” 

“Don’t remind me,” she grumbled. “So.. what, you were watching me?” 

“Well.. yes but, not in a weird way. And it was only for a couple of minutes before your, uh.. activities.. were interrupted. No offense but, it was pretty impossible not to.”

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “Fair enough. So, you coming to help me back there wasn’t just a lucky coincidence?” 

“Uh.. no,” he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I saw them following you as you left. I wasn’t even sure if they were after you, but..” 

“But you came to help anyway, even though you don't know me.” 

She looked up at him, smiling softly. It was a good look on her. Even Garrus had to admit that, for a human, she was undeniably pleasing to look at. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was.. off. He couldn’t put his finger on it but it was niggling at him. 

“I appreciate it, Blue. Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Couldn’t exactly let you get killed before you could finish.. whatever it was you were doing.”

“You wanna know so bad, don’t you?” 

“Is it that obvious?” 

“Blue, the only way it could be more obvious is if your clan markings were just the words **‘TELL ME'** across your face.”

“Haha, alright, you caught me,” he chuckled. “You gotta put an end to my misery here.” 

“What do you think I was doing?” 

“Either writing the next best-selling novel or a very sternly worded email..” 

“What? No,” she tittered. “I was playing Star Fighter. I was just about to beat the final boss when that _asshole_ shoved his god damn hand in my face and I died. Gonna have to do that whole level again now. Fucking jerk.” 

“You like video games?” he asked, a little surprised.

“Oh yeah. Do you?” 

“Absolutely,” he beamed. “That wouldn’t happen to be the new Star Fighter you were playing, was it?” 

“Yes! I haven’t been able to put it down.”

“What’s it like? I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had the chance to try it.”

“It’s _insane_ ,” she boasted. “They updated all the combat system so it doesn’t feel clunky anymore.. and the new weapons? _So_ fucking cool.” 

She had a little bounce in her stride as she spoke and he couldn’t help but laugh a little at her excitement. 

“If you’re in no hurry, you could always come to mine and play a few rounds? I’ve got beer.. dextro friendly, obviously. Think of it as a thank you for helping me out.” 

_Well, this just took an interesting turn._

“You know, Ash, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were just trying to get me back to your place..” he teased. 

“If you’re not up for it, that’s cool,” she shrugged, smirking a little.

It was strange. He got along with the humans on the crew just fine but, he didn’t feel this at ease around them. He'd only just met Ash, how was that even possible? All he knew was, he wasn’t ready to bring an end to their time together just yet.

“I’m kidding,” he chuckled. “I’ve got plenty of time, I’d love to.”

She smiled and lead them down a different pathway to their new destination. He hoped she was still planning to take him to the Docking Bay afterwards because he _really_ had not been paying attention to where they were going. 

“You’re not a sore loser, are you? I don’t wanna end up like Mr Leather when I beat you.”

“You won’t have to worry about that, Blue. Trust me.” 

“You actually think you’re gonna win? See, this is what I mean. Just adorable..” he teased.

“Oh, you’re going _down_ , Vakarian.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you can see where this is going..


	6. Your Favourite Colour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a while, it's been a manic couple of weeks. This is a very lengthy chapter though so, hopefully that'll make up for it :) 
> 
> Just a heads up - this is basically just a pure smut chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if it's a little clunky or long winded. As with all things, I'm sure I'll improve as I go. But, I wanted the first cross-species smut fest to be a little awkward and not rushed etc
> 
> *Persici = Peach
> 
> Just wanted to say a huge thank you to my my best pal, Kirsten, for being my smut proof-reader. Also, to my fiancé for answering my weird ass questions about sex from a man’s perspective.

“Aha! Yes!” Ash cheered, raising her arms in the air victoriously. “Suck it, Vakarian!”

“Oh, come on, you got given a way better team than me.” 

“Pretty sure you had this exact team about four rounds ago and I _still_ kicked your ass.” 

She was right but, he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her that. 

“I still blame this thing,” he sulked, glaring at the tiny controller in his hand like it had done him a disservice. “This looks like something a pup could use.” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re built like the Hulk.”

“I’m sorry.. the what?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” she chuckled. “You want another beer?” 

“Sounds great,” he chirped. “Thanks.” 

Ash pulled herself off the couch and headed into the kitchen. While she was gone, Garrus took the opportunity to appraise his surroundings. Her apartment was much nicer than he’d been expecting, considering this was still Omega. It wasn’t particularly fancy but, the decor was simple and tasteful. It was pretty cosy though, he could imagine it feeling a little cramped with more than one person living here.

As he looked around, he realised that she had no personal effects on show. Not even a single family photo. It felt more like one of those show homes for prospective buyers to browse through. There was nothing whatsoever that could give him an insight into who Ash really was. Even when they’d been chatting throughout the evening, she’d subtly dodged any attempt to learn more about her. Although, on the plus side, it meant she hadn’t pried either. No matter how comfortable he felt talking to her, for the sake of the mission, there were certain things he just couldn’t tell her. He really didn’t want to lie to her, if he could help it. 

He put it out of his mind when she emerged from the kitchen, beers in hand. She passed a bottle over as she sat down and he chirruped in thanks unconsciously.

“You’re very welcome,” she tittered.

_Wait, what?_

“You heard that?” 

Her cheeks flushed a rosy shade as she chewed her bottom lip. It was quite an intriguing look on her.

“Yeah, kinda,” she said awkwardly. “Sorry, I always forget that humans aren’t supposed to.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just.. you can hear subharmonics?” 

“Uhh.. yeah. I thought everyone could, until my friend had about the same reaction as you did when I heard his.”

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes curiously dancing across his features as she appraised him. 

“It’s weird.. usually I can’t really hear them with turians I don’t know so well but, I can hear yours pretty clearly.”

In all honesty, he'd been experiencing something similar himself. He was still learning human expressions and mannerisms but, he seemed to pick up on hers quite easily. Though, the fact that she could hear and understand subharmonics was completely mind boggling. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that.

“You are the most peculiar human I’ve ever met, you know that? I mean that in the best way, of course.” 

“Why thank you, kind sir,” she teased, giving him an exaggerated bow. “So, what do you wanna do now? It’s been fun kicking your leathery ass and all but, how about we try a co-op game instead? I’ve got a couple of really good ones on here.” 

“Works for me, I think I’ve had my ‘leathery ass’ handed to me enough for one night,” he joked. 

She moved herself to sit right on the edge of the sofa, absent-mindedly running her fingers through her fringe as she focused on the TV. He'd always assumed a human fringe was one solid piece, just like his, so he was completely fascinated watching the little ebony threads gradually falling back into place. 

What did they feel like? They didn’t appear to be sensitive from what he could tell.

His drunken curiosity got the best of him and he edged a little closer, leaning in as much as he could without her noticing. He blew the lightest puff of air at the back of her head, the strands swishing every which way as the air hit them. She didn’t seem to acknowledge it whatsoever, not even the slightest flinch.

_Interesting.._

The beer and brandy was making him bolder.. and possibly a little stupid. A quick glance at Ash.. she was still hard at work on her quest for the perfect game. Mumbling now and again about blue shells and something about a crashed bandit hoot, whatever the hell that was. 

He took his chance, removing one of his gloves and reaching for the back of her fringe as steadily as he could in his merry state. 

_Spirits, if she turns around now, I don’t know how I’m going to explain this. At least she’s unlikely to shoot her own ceiling.. hopefully._

He lightly ran his talons through the dark strands of her fringe, checking for any sign of a reaction.. 

Nope, still muttering away to herself. 

They felt so.. strange. A little coarse and wiry. He went to move his hand away, not wanting to push his luck. Shit, he couldn’t. They'd gotten all tangled up amongst his talons somehow. 

_Spirits, I am **so** screwed. _

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn’t want to risk hurting Ash and he _certainly_ didn’t want to get shot. He gently twiddled his fingers a little but it was only making things worse. Spirits, he was panicking like a fledgling who’d just been caught with a copy of Fornax. 

Out of nowhere, she erupted with an explosive sneeze and her head shot forward like a bullet.

Garrus looked at his hand.. looked at her head.. back at his hand.

_**WHAT. THE. FUCK?!** _

He screamed like a character from a budget horror movie and Ash jumped out of her skin, instantly turning to face him. Her eyes immediately shot to his face, then to his hand. She patted her head a couple of times.. and burst out laughing. 

“ _How_ are you laughing right now? Your fringe just **ripped** off! Why aren’t you more concerned about this, are you in shock?!”

“Nooo, that’s not my hair,” she said, holding her stomach in fits of laughter. “Don’t worry, it’s just a wig.”

_Is she actually insane?_

“It’s what? Spirits, now you’re just chucking words at me,” he huffed in his frazzled state. “Is this, or this not supposed to be attached to your head? If so, what the hell is it doing stuck to my fucking hand?”

“That’s a _very_ good question, Blue,” she teased, leaning into her hip. “Why _is_ it stuck to your hand?” 

He gave her a look that he hoped translated to ‘what the _fuck_ is going on?’, apparently it worked because she seemed to settle a little.

“Right, sorry,” she said, doing her best to stifle her giggling. “What you would call a fringe, humans call hair. But, what you have there is a wig. Humans wear them sometimes if they have no hair of their own or just fancy a change of style.” 

“So.. I didn’t hurt you?” he asked, shaking his hand with vigour to try and get the damn thing off.

“No, Blue,” she chuckled. “I’m fine.” 

She urged him to join her on the sofa as she set about detangling this ‘wig' from his talons. 

“Thanks,” he said once she’d finished. “So.. you don’t have.. ‘hair’, was it? That’s why you wear that?”

She looked confused for a moment. 

“Oh, no,” she said, laughing awkwardly. “This is a wig cap. It keeps your hair out of the way and makes it easier to put the wig on. I forgot I had it on with all the.. ya know.. _excitement_.” 

“So, you _do_ have hair?” 

“Mmhmm.”

“May I see?”

“Uh.. yeah, okay.”

She reached for the cap almost hesitantly, pausing for a moment before taking a deep breath and gradually sliding it off.

_Spirits.._

“I’ve never seen this colour on a human before,” he gasped, enraptured by the pure white shade of her hair. “I like it. And.. how does it get its shape? Does it grow like that?”

He pointed to the ball on the back of her head and she laughed a little before reaching her arms back behind her. When she eventually brought them away again, her hair fell free, cascading down to the small of her back. It reminded him of the frozen waterfalls of Noveria or a blanket of freshly laid snow. 

“May I?” he asked curiously.

She nodded in reply and he chirruped in thanks, earning him that soft smile. He carefully took a section of her thick, white locks in his hand, amazed by how soft and silky it felt in comparison.

“This is.. nothing like I thought it would be,” he pondered, marvelling as the strands trickled through his fingers so fluidly. “I’m sorry about.. you know. This is all still new to me, I got a little curious.. and a little stupid. Blame the beer.”

“Don’t sweat it, Big Guy,” she said with a smile. “You could have just asked, you know.”

“I thought it would be strange to ask but, my way wasn’t exactly what you would call smooth,” he joked. “Any more surprises I should know about before I have another heart attack?” 

He was only joking around but she immediately tensed up in response. Her eyes searched his features questioningly before letting out a defeated sigh.

“Actually, there is one more thing..” she said hesitantly. “I guess the cat's out of the bag now anyway, right? Just.. try not to freak out this time, okay?” 

“Uh.. okay..”

With that, she nodded in resolve and span herself around to face the other way.

_Spirits, if she takes her head off or something, I’m out of here._

He patiently waited and his imagination ran wild, envisioning her showing him that she was secretly a salarian in a human costume, or something equally as strange. Given the bizarre series of events that had occurred throughout the evening, he probably wouldn’t even be surprised by this point. 

After a minute or so, she finally turned back around. 

_Woah.._

“Your eyes can change colour?” he asked in disbelief. Entranced by the stunning, icy blue orbs looking back at him. 

“Ha, I wish. It’d be a damn sight cheaper. No, I wear these,” she explained, showing him two tiny green bowls resting in the palm of her hand. “They’re lenses. Some help to improve your vision, and ones like these change your eye colour.” 

“To any colour?”

“Pretty much,” she shrugged. “There’s hundreds of different colours and styles. Even animal eyes like cats, snakes, wolves.. oo and dragons! **Love** me a dragon.. _so_ bad ass.” 

_I’m not even sure where to start with that one.._

It was such a bizarre concept. Humans having all these means to change themselves. He couldn’t get his head around it. Though he now understood what that niggling feeling about her had been. He couldn’t imagine turians doing such a thing, though. Changing the colour of your eyes or your plates. Would you even feel like yourself anymore? 

Looking at Ash.. that long white hair against her flawless ivory complexion, with those big blue eyes that seemed to stare right through you. There was no point denying it, she was _gorgeous_. Striking, even. Which begged the question..

“I’m sorry, Ash, I’ve gotta ask..”

“Why the disguise?” she finished, laughing a little. “I had a run in with some really bad guys a little while back. I did a pretty good job of pissing them off and they’ve been gunning for me ever since. Wearing this stuff means I can go out without having to look over my damn shoulder all the time.” 

_Makes sense, she’d definitely stand out in a crowd. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like to talk about herself._

“Is there.. anything I can do to help?” 

“Thanks, Blue, but this isn’t something that can be fixed in one night. One thing you _can_ do, is keep this to yourself. I don’t usually let people see me like this but, I dunno.. I just feel like I can trust you,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I know that probably sounds crazy.” 

“Not at all, I was thinking something similar myself,” he said sincerely. “And I won’t tell a soul, Ash. You have my word.” 

Though he wished there was something more he could do. 

She smiled and settled into her seat, tucking her legs up underneath her in a way that seemed physically impossible. 

“So..” she said, taking a swig of her beer. “On a lighter note.. tell me, how long did it take you to build your visor?” 

“What makes you think I built it?” he asked, a little amused and impressed that she’d even notice such a thing.

“Well, you either built it or had it custom made but, I’m gonna go with the former.” 

“Okay, let me rephrase that,” he teased, leaning back against the couch. “What makes you think it’s custom?” 

“Oh.. well, it’s got the sleek design and fit of a Kuwashii, but the display has the Umbra's format,” she mused, leaning a little closer to study it. “From what I can see of the interface, the software is similar to Sentry. Seems substantially more intricate though. So, it looks like it’s been built based on the best elements of each make, with a pretty nice software upgrade to boot.”

At that point, he didn’t know what surprised him more. How right she was, or how damn hot it was hearing all of that come out of her pretty human mouth. It had been distracting him all night in all manner of ways. Back in the club or when they’d been gaming here, it had simply made him laugh, with that little tongue of hers constantly making a break for freedom. Now, however, it was distracting him for completely different reasons, and he found his eyes discreetly drifting to gaze at those peach toned lips a little too often. 

What would they feel like? He couldn’t just reach out and touch them, not exactly subtle. Plus, the way that worked out last time, he’d probably just end up accidentally ripping her face off or something. 

“I’m impressed,” he chirped, doing his best to clear those thoughts from his mind. “..and, you’re right, I made it myself. It didn’t actually take as long as you’d expect.”

“Thought so,” she beamed with a devilish grin. “You did a good job, Big Guy. I’m a little jealous.”

Spirits, he’d make one for her right now if it got her to smile like that again.

“Okay, I have to ask.. do I have something in my teeth? You keep looking at me like I’ve got something on my face.” 

She got up to check herself over in the mirror hanging on the wall nearby, tilting her face at every angle before examining her teeth to search for any hidden treasures. Apparently he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought. 

“No, you’re fine,” he chuckled. “It’s just.. ugh, spirits, this is gonna sound so stupid.” 

That piqued her interest. She darted over and hopped back on the sofa beside him.

“No judgment here,” she assured him. “What is it?”

The weirdest thing, he actually believed her. Was he actually going to say it? Spirits, this night just kept getting more bizarre as it went on. He rubbed the back of his neck and huffed out a breath.

“Okay.. well, I seem to be finding that human mouth of yours very.. distracting. I’m not even sure why. Sorry about that, put it down to alien curiosity,” he said, laughing awkwardly. 

True to her word, she didn’t berate him or take offense. She just smiled that smile of hers.

“It’s okay,” she said sweetly. “Then I’m guessing you’ve never kissed a human before?” 

“Honestly? This is the longest time I’ve even spent one on one with a human and I’m not even sure what a ‘kiss' is so, that would be a definite no.” 

“Well, I’m flattered to be your first human pal, Big Guy,” she tittered.

She went quiet for a moment, chewing her bottom lip with those blunt little human teeth and damn if it didn’t help the situation.

“Do you.. wanna try it?” 

“Uh.. I don’t know.. does it hurt?”

She snorted a laugh at that. He wasn’t exactly sure _why_ it was funny.

“That depends, you got any levo allergies?”

_Levo allergies? Spirits.._

“Uh..” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “No, I don’t.”

"Then you should be fine," she shrugged, taking a sip of her beer before popping it on the table beside her.

She flashed him a wicked grin, spinning herself around to face him head on. He really liked where this was going, whatever was about to happen. 

“Lean back..” she said softly.

He did.

“Close your eyes..”

Affirmative.

With her moving so close, her scent was overwhelming. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon, with that little hint of gun oil. It was heavenly. He felt one of her warm little hands on his chest, then the other resting on his cheek. His heart was pounding, his mind racing a mile a minute.. but then, he felt soft, plump lips press against his mouth and suddenly the world came to a still. 

She lingered a while, her lips tenderly caressing across his own. She pulled away for the slightest moment before he felt her little human tongue tease into his mouth, lightly dragging along his teeth. He tested the waters, curling his own, longer one around hers and the two became entwined in a dance, bringing out of her the softest little moan.

Their movements were slow and curious, exploring each others alien mouths in between feather-light kisses. All he could focus on was how soft she felt against his mouth, and he gently teased his tongue across her bottom lip as she finally pulled away. 

He opened his eyes to find hers gazing right back at him, like crystal blue pools filled with desire. Her eyelids slightly hooded, her lips a little plumper, that rosy flush across her cheeks. Spirits, this woman was sexy as hell.

“Wow,” she breathed, clearing her throat. “That was, uh..” 

“It certainly was,” he purred.

He wasn't ready for this moment to be over. As soon as their lips met, he felt almost magnetised to her in a way he couldn't really explain. He hoped she felt it, too. Her reaction seemed to suggest she did. He needed to do something now, before the chance passed him by for good. He gingerly leaned towards her, and she matched him. As they slowly drew closer to one another, they flitted between locking eyes and gazing at the other’s mouth in yearning. This time, it was him that made the move. 

He took her lips again, his talons lightly trailing across the soft skin of her cheek and through her hair. There was nothing experimental about it this time, it was passionate and lustful. Savouring every second as they plunged deeply into each other's mouths. He needed to touch her, and tentatively placed a hand on her leg, slowly sliding it under the hem of her jumper to rest on her thigh. He felt her smile against his lips before she pulled away again and, spirits, he’d never missed anything so swiftly. 

Clinging to his shoulder, she climbed onto his lap to straddle him and his grief disappeared just as quickly as it came. She set to work, removing her jumper in a flash and casting it aside aimlessly. All she had on underneath was a little vest that clung to her like a second skin. Spirits, the body that this woman had been hiding beneath that baggy thing. 

While she was indeed petite, she had sensual curves that any woman would kill for. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had the tiniest waist, one that put even a turian woman to shame. It looked outstanding against the full curves of her chest. If he hadn’t been already, he was _definitely_ converted now. 

He wanted to taste and explore every inch of this woman, and with her permission, he planned to do it all damn night. He sat up and cupped the back of her head, his talons tangling through her snowy hair as he urged her mouth towards his own. She opened herself to him and the tempo switched from slow and sensual to hot and needy, her warm little hands grappling around his neck while his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her as if she’d vanish if he let her go. 

He felt those dextrous, nimble little fingers of hers creep beneath his mandibles, massaging back and forth across his jaw. Spirits, did it feel good. Turian women certainly weren’t able to do that, not without their talons puncturing through your cheek, anyway. He returned in kind, eagerly exploring her immaculate form. His hands slowly trailing from her shoulders and down her back before giving her perky human ass a curious squeeze. Whenever he touched her, her body would react to him in some way. Her grip would get stronger, her back would arch, her thighs would tighten around him. It was incredible.

He finally tore his mouth away from hers and buried his head into that slender neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. She tilted her head to give him better access and he had to remind himself that she probably didn’t know what that meant to a turian. The ultimate sign of submission, to give yourself completely.

_Spirits, I wanna take my time here but she isn’t making it easy._

Working his way from her throat to her ear, his teeth delicately nipped at her flesh, his tongue soothing her as it followed the same path. Her breath hitched a little, moaning softly into his ear and he felt his plates loosening at the sound. Spirits, what was this woman doing to him? He wasn’t usually one to get so worked up this easily. 

Her nimble little fingers set to work, kneading their way around to the hide on the back of his neck. They’d unknowingly made their way to the soft, sensitive spot beneath his fringe and she artfully massaged it in just the right way. It sent a spark rushing through him that shot straight to his cock and a deep, gravelly growl escaped him. She instantly stopped what she was doing, concern written all over her face. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, dismayed. “Did I hurt you?” 

“Uh.. no,” he confessed, laughing awkwardly. “That spot is just very, uh.. _sensitive_.. to turians.”

“Ohh, so that was _horny_ growling you just did?” she teased, smirking a little. 

“Absolutely,” he purred, squeezing her ass playfully.

“I liked it,” she shrugged. “Kinda turned me on a little bit.” 

“Is that so?” he chuckled, lightly tracing his lips down her neck. “Well, there is plenty more where that came from.”

She started twirling some of her hair around her finger, avoiding his gaze.

“Blue.. do you, uh.. want to..”

_Now she’s shy? That really is adorable._

“Spirits, yes.”

“It’s just.. I’ve never been with a turian before. Does it..? I mean, do you have..? Will it even..? Ugh..” she jabbered, laughing a little as she sighed in defeat.

He chuckled softly, tucking his finger beneath her chin to get her to meet his eye. He had to admit, he liked that he was the only turian she’d been with like this. Liked it more than he probably should. He tenderly put his lips to hers, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“I’m sure it will come as no surprise that this will be a first time for me too,” he chuckled. “But, I have it on good authority that we are definitely compatible in that regard.” 

“Really?” 

“Mmhmm,” he said, delicately tracing his talons up and down her thighs. “I have friends who have been with humans so, you know.. it works. Very well, apparently.” 

“Well then..” she began, climbing off of him to get to her feet. She held out her hand in invitation, smiling mischievously. “Shall we?” 

He missed her warmth, her scent. Missed the feel of her soft skin beneath his hands. Now that he’d had a taste of her, he craved her. Craved her like nothing else.

“Lead the way,” he purred, taking her hand. 

She lead him out of her living room and down a small hallway until they reached the door at the far end of the hall. As he followed her through the threshold into her bedroom, she opened up her Omni-Tool and began typing away. Moments later, the lights flickered on before dimming a little, and the shutters on her windows all began to descend in unison. 

“How did you do that?”

“Oh, it’s just a little program I made,” she explained, shrugging her shoulders. “I originally just wanted to make the coffee machine do it’s thing without having to get out of bed but, I got a little carried away.” 

“Sexy, strong _and_ smart?” he purred, moving closer. “Spirits, you’re something else.”

She smirked at that, slinking over to meet him like a predator stalking her prey. Soft hands rested on his stomach, leisurely caressing their way up to his chest.

“Oh, Blue,” she purred, her head tilting to the side as she smiled knowingly. “You have _no_ idea.” 

“Well,” he said, leaning in close. “I would very much like to find out.” 

“Is that right?” she said enticingly, drawing him in. It was _definitely_ working.

“Mmhmm.”

“You wanna know the first thing I want you to do?” she whispered against his mouth.

“What’s that?” he breathed.

That little tongue of hers deftly teased across his mouth, then she grinned and gave him a gentle shove, her arms folding across her chest as she sunk into her hip. 

“I want you to take that damn thing off,” she ordered, glaring at his visor. 

“Seriously? I feel naked without it..” 

“More than actually being naked?” she snorted.

“A little, yeah..” 

“I’m not gonna be able to relax if it’s scanning and analysing me every five seconds, Big Guy. I just-"

“No, it’s okay,” he offered as he set to work removing it. 

There was no way in hell he was risking blowing his chance with her over something like this. 

“You’re right.” 

_It records everything as well but, maybe not the best time to mention that._

He turned it off as he placed it on her dresser and she smiled gratefully.

“Thank you. But.. seeing as you’ve removed something, maybe I should, too?” she said playfully. 

“A fair compromise,” he purred, leaning against the dresser to enjoy the show.

His outward persona was pure, cold confidence. Completely unphased. Internally, however, he was freaking the _fuck_ out. He felt like a horny teenager, way too eager to fuck this gorgeous creature until the sun came up. But, he also couldn’t help but worry. What if he hurt her? She was so damn small, and her skin so soft against his talons. Though what probably worried him most, was that she would see him in all his naked glory and be put off by his turian form. He was all sharp lines and hard edges. If she hadn’t been with a turian before, it's unlikely she knew what to expect. 

Was she worrying about these things, too? If she was, she did a damn good job of hiding it. 

A little shimmy here and there helped to coax her trousers over those curvaceous hips. She slowly pulled them down and they fell to the floor, pooling at her feet. All she had on underneath was the tiniest, most pointless looking underwear he’d ever seen, made of a sheer, black material.. and he _loved_ it. How easily they would tear beneath his talons or with his teeth. 

She immediately moved onto her vest, quickly whipping it off and chucking it across the room. His eyes wondered down her form in appreciation, taking in every delicious inch of her. She looked athletic and toned, with dips and curves in _all_ the right places. She truly was a vision.

He curiously observed the.. spirits, what even is that? A harness? It seemed to be made of the same material as her underwear, containing the curves of her chest like a holster. Whatever it was, he wanted it _off_. 

“You look.. amazing,” he said sincerely. “But, what is that?”

“Don’t worry about that for now,” she said with a sly smile. “It’s your turn, Big Guy.” 

Ah, yes. His turn. Great. Maybe just the shirt to start with. If she seemed immediately repulsed, he could easily just throw it back on as he made a break for it. A solid plan. He grabbed the hem and lifted his shirt up over his head, being careful not to catch it on his fringe. As he chucked it on the floor beside him, he anxiously waited to see what her reaction would be. She didn’t scream or recoil in horror so.. that was reassuring. Instead, her head tilted to the side, studying him as she stepped closer. When she stopped in front of him, her eyes slowly travelled up his body until they met his own. 

“Can I touch you?” she asked softly. 

“Of course,” he replied, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. 

_Spirits, why am I getting so damn flustered?_

Those warm little hands rested on his chest, her fingers pressing into his plates as her thumbs swept to and fro. She looked just as curious as he had been, and she smiled in surprise, laughing a little. 

“I always assumed turian plates were like metal,” she mused, still focused on what she was doing. “But they feel more like cartilage or something.” 

“Right.. is that worse, or..?”

Crystal blue eyes looked up and gazed into his own, a comforting smile upon her lips. 

_Spirits, she really is beautiful._

“Neither of them are bad, Blue,” she assured him. “It’s just interesting, that’s all.” 

He rested his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs gently stroking back and forth across her collar bones. 

“I know exactly what you mean,” he chirped.

She smiled and promptly returned to her studies, switching her focus to the hide between his plates. Starting from his cowl, she casually meandered her way down to his stomach, every touch leaving a tingle in its wake. He got so lost in the feeling, he didn’t notice her hands growing ever closer to his waist. Those magical little fingers caressed deep into the sensitive hide there and he growled, his talons flexing into her skin unconsciously. 

“Spirits, I’m so sorry,” he said anxiously, bringing his hands away. “Are you alright?”

Her brows furrowed disapprovingly and next thing he knew, she was gripping the front of his cowl to yank him down to her eye level. 

_Damn, she’s strong alright,_ he thought to himself amusingly.

“Vakarian, I am _not_ a frail old maid. Neither am I an antique tea set that’s going to shatter from the slightest touch. Are we clear?”

That commanding tone.. spirits, it turned him on to no end.

“Alright,” he growled. “I think we’re done with the tutorials for today.” 

He grabbed her by the waist and she yelped in surprise as he heaved her over his shoulder, making a beeline for the bed. 

“Now _that’s_ more like it,” she cheered, slapping his ass from her little perch.

In fact, he had a _very_ nice view of hers like this. He slapped it hard, chuckling to himself as she yelped delightfully. Once he reached the bed, he heaved her back over so she landed right on it, bouncing and laughing a little when she hit the sheets. He quickly set about removing his trousers, never once taking his eyes off her.

“Now,” he began. “You can either remove your underwear and that harness yourself or, I can rip them off. What will it be?”

She gave him that sly smile, unmoving as she considered her options. She conceded, raising her hips and tucking her thumbs beneath the material as she teased them down. Once they’d been aimlessly cast aside, she got to her knees, bending her arms back behind her in a way that made him cringe a little. 

_Spirits, how does she do that? Are all humans so freakishly bendy?_

The straps of her harness fell loose, sliding off her arms before it received the same send off as her underwear. It was crazy that such a small amount of fabric could make such a difference but, spirits, seeing her without any of it was making his own underwear unbearably uncomfortable. He pulled them down hurriedly and kicked them away, sighing from the relief when his cock was finally free, throbbing and ready for her. When her eyes landed on it and shot wide open in shock, it took a considerable amount of effort on his part not to laugh. 

“Sweet mother of Moses, Vakarian,” she gasped. “Is that even real?” 

Well, he’d be lying if he said that didn’t feel good.

“You said blue’s your favourite colour, right?” he teased.

“If it wasn’t before, it certainly is now,” she chuckled. “It’s the size of my damn arm!” 

Apparently study time was back in full force, her head tilting to the side as her gaze fixed on his cock. Only looking away briefly to examine her arm for comparison.

“Please tell me you’re not gonna stare at him like that the whole time..” 

“Sorry,” she said, her eyes snapping back up to his face. “It’s just so..” 

“Ash..”

“Right! Sorry, sorry..” 

She came as close to the edge of the bed as she could, just about meeting his eye level from her kneeling position. She tenderly caressed everywhere she could touch. Massaging his chest, working her way around his cowl until her arms wrapped around his neck.

“You really are beautiful, Blue,” she said softly, smiling at him. “Like a tiger.” 

He was a little taken aback, no one had ever really told him that before. The women he’d been with were certainly complimentary but, it had never felt so sincere. As she pressed her soft, warm body up against him, all he could smell was that delectable scent and how aroused she was. It was making his head so fuzzy that he couldn’t think straight.

“Am I supposed to know what a ‘tiger’ is?” was all he could think to say. 

“I’ll show you later,” she tittered.

She brought her lips to his, kissing him gently and pulling away before he could do more. Her tongue caressed the tip of his mandible, her blunt little teeth tugging on it ever so slightly. He trailed his hands down her back, cupping that perfect ass of hers. 

“Right now,” she whispered in that velvety voice, her lips resting right by his ear canal. “I just _really_ want you to fuck me.” 

“Yes, Ma'am,” he obliged, a lustful growl lacing his words.

With that, he grabbed her ass and scooped her up to lay her back on the bed. He climbed on with her, laying between her legs as he took her lips once more. Her legs entwined around his spurs, her hands grabbing him desperately while she kissed him like she depended on it to breathe. He tangled his talons through her hair as their mouths collided, while the other hand explored her hungrily. She was so responsive to every touch but, she had to have some sensitive spots. He just had to find them. 

He started at her thigh, slowly working his way up to her hip and along that tiny, sexy little waist. Little flinches and quivers here and there but nothing inherently sensitive. As he caressed across the curves of her chest, she moaned into his mouth and he got the feeling he’d found what he was looking for.

“Like that, did you?” he teased, chuckling softly against her jaw. 

“Uh huh,” she breathed. “My boobs are super sensitive. Especially here..” 

She leaned forward a little and he moved with her, watching as she ran her fingers over the pink flesh of her nipple. He replaced her hand with his own, cupping her breast and clutching it slightly. The skin there seemed to be even softer than the rest of her, if that were even possible, and felt like a ripe persici fruit beneath his hand. She leaned into his grasp, her breathing getting heavier. He curiously rubbed his thumb pad over her nipple and she whimpered a little from the sensation. Spirits, the sounds this woman could make were quickly becoming his favourite.

Eager to hear more, he continued his machinations, rubbing his thumb around in continuous circles. He marvelled as the peak hardened beneath his touch, and he took it between his finger and thumb, pinching it a little. She cried out in pleasure, those blunt little nails digging into the hide of his upper arm. He took her other nipple in his mouth, his teeth delicately scoring across the pink flesh as he curled his tongue around the peak, pulling it gently over and over. With every move he made, her body's response grew stronger and the scent of her arousal took over his senses a little more. 

“Fuck, Garrus,” she hissed. 

Other than when they’d introduced themselves, this was the first time she’d said his name. Hearing her say it like _that_.. it ignited something in him. His hand left her breast and trailed down her body, leisurely making its way towards the apex between her thighs. As soon as his hand got near, he could feel her tensing up beneath him. He moved to lay beside her, propping himself up on his elbow.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” he assured her, sweeping her hair off of her face.

“I know,” she said softly, leaning into his touch. 

He kissed her gently, their tongues twirling together whilst his hand traversed back down to her thigh. He urged her to lift her leg, resting it across his own to open her up to him as much as possible. As his fingers reached her centre, his cock twitched at the feeling of her warmth, and he curiously slid his fingers through her folds. She was satin smooth to the touch, delectably soft. 

“You’re wet,” he mused, looking at the glossy sheen now coating his fingers. 

“Is that a bad thing?” 

“Not even a little bit. Are you like this all the time?”

“Not always,” she panted. “Just when I’m turned on.”

“You’re _very_ wet,” he purred, watching her reaction as he played with her a little more. 

“Yeah, well, not sure if you noticed but, I’m very turned on right now,” she said breathlessly, writhing beneath his touch.

“You’re not the only one,” he chuckled, lightly teasing her nipple with his teeth. 

As he touched her again, his fingers swept up a little higher and brushed against a little bud he hadn’t noticed before. She instantly cried out, gripping his arm like a vice. 

_Well, well, well. What do we have here?_

He alternated between firmer pressure, and delicate feather-light teases that were barely a touch, massaging that little bud in circles both fast and slow. He could see her whole body quivering and rocking into his movements, her chest heaving with her deep, gasping breaths.

“Does that feel good?” he whispered in her ear, tracing his tongue along her jaw. 

“That is a _severe_ understatement,” she breathed, making them both laugh a little. 

Craving more, he finally brought an end to his teasing. He caressed through her folds until he found her opening and steadily began sliding his finger inside her. She hissed in reply, the hand that wasn’t holding onto him reaching back to grip the sheets above her head. The shift in position gave her back a sensual curve that made her breasts look fantastic.

Spirits, she was so fucking tight. He really was going to have to be careful with her. That being said, her pussy felt fucking incredible. So hot and wet as it held his finger in a tight embrace. He took her nipple in his mouth, delicately nipping, sucking and licking at her flesh as he worked her with his finger. He delved a little deeper each time and she rocked into his movements, gasping, whimpering and moaning unashamedly each time he found a new bump or sweet spot inside her.

Somehow, every time he thought he’d reached her limit, her body would mould to accommodate him, ready and eager for more. It made his cock ache for her. 

“Fuck, Garrus, please..” she begged, writhing beneath his touch. “It's.. it’s too much. Please, I need you inside me.” 

During the ceremony that promoted him to Spectre rank, he’d firmly believed that nothing would beat that moment in his entire lifetime. Yet, hearing her say those words.. spirits, that topped it by fucking lightyears. He kissed her deeply and hungrily before moving to kneel between her legs. She was so wet that her pussy glistened in the light, beckoning him with her legs spread so invitingly. He was more than happy to oblige. 

He pumped his shaft a couple of times as he lined his cock up to her opening. Spirits, he was so fucking hard right now. He’d never been so turned on. The tip of his cock brushed through her folds and they both moaned at the sensation. He carefully eased himself inside a little and watched as her blunt little teeth chewed her bottom lip, unsure if it was from lust or hesitation.

“We'll take it nice and slow, okay?” he assured her, his free hand caressing up and down her thigh, hoping it was comforting. “If it gets too much, just say the word and I’ll stop.” 

“Okay,” she said softly. 

With that, he steadily urged himself deeper inside her. He stopped once she’d taken about half of his length, giving her time to adjust to his size. Fuck, this feeling was exquisite. Her body clung to his cock, enveloping him completely. He’d never experienced anything like it. He slowly started easing his way back out, both of them panting desperately as the bumps and ridges along his shaft collided with those little sweet spots inside her.

His hands rested on her thighs, his thumbs stroking back and forth across her soft skin. As he started sliding his cock back inside her, he watched in awe as that tight little pussy took each inch of his length gladly. It was the sexiest fucking thing he’d ever seen. He carried on like that, taking his time with her. Both of them enjoying each and every sensation until he filled her to the hilt. 

The sight of his cock buried deep inside her made his talons flex, searing across her skin. She hissed in a breath and he finally tore his gaze away from their joining, almost panicking until he saw that look in her eye. Pure, unadulterated hunger. She liked it.

_Spirits, she’s trouble._

He did it again, just enough for her to feel it without piercing the skin. He rolled his hips into her at the same time and she cried out, her whole body arching as her pussy clenched around his cock. It set his senses on fire and he yearned to feel it again. He started with a slow, sensual rhythm, staying deep inside her as he rocked his hips into her.

“Fuck, Garrus,” she moaned. “You feel so fucking good.”

Every time she said his name like that, it only spurred him on more. He brought his hand away from her thigh to massage the little bud that had driven her wild. He switched up the pace with his thrusts, rubbing that little bud in time with his movements. Her pussy clenched around him again, almost like a heartbeat. He watched her chew her bottom lip, one of her hands clutching at her breast as the other worked its way between her thighs. 

The feel of her.. the sight of her.. it pretty much obliterated the morsel of self control he’d been hanging onto. He gripped her hips tight, pulling her down to meet his thrusts as he fucked her senseless. She straightened her legs, spreading them wide.. impossibly wide, allowing him to get as deep inside her as he could possibly go. Her breasts bounced each time he slammed into her and he cupped one in his hand, letting out a deep, guttural growl as he drove into her relentlessly. 

“Spirits, you’re so damn tight,” he growled, feeling her tighten around him to the point where it was almost painful. “You feel incredible.” 

“Ah, Garrus, fuck,” she whined. “I’m gonna..” 

“Do it,” he ordered. “I wanna feel you cum for me.” 

He laid back on top of her and claimed her mouth hungrily as she wrapped herself around him like a wild pyjak. He held her tight as he thrust into her hard and swift. She was so close, he could feel it. He kept up his speed and after a while, her whole body trembled as a powerful orgasm rippled through her. It was so fucking intense, her pussy tightly gripping his cock from every angle like a pulsing massage as she came endlessly. He was fighting every urge that told him to sink his teeth into her and fuck her until she came a hundred times over. She cried out bodaciously and he devoured her moans of pleasure, tangling his talons through her hair as he rode her through each wave of her climax. 

As the pulsing began to slow, he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. She looked completely and utterly satisfied, a sheen of sweat subtly glistening across her skin. He wasn’t afraid to admit he felt pretty damn smug about it. He rolled his hips into her, slow and steady, planting the lightest kisses on her lips. 

“You are so beautiful,” he said softly, feeling himself getting lost in those blue eyes.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she chuckled between panting breaths, her fingers tracing careless circles across his back. “But, I think it’s my turn now. Don’t you?” 

“Your turn, huh?” he purred, thrusting into her again. 

“Mmhmm. Lay down for me,” she said in that seductive tone. 

He was more than happy to comply. To be honest, she could probably ask anything of him right now and he’d say yes. They both moaned softly in unison as he eased out of her and rolled onto his back, craving the feeling of being inside her again. 

She didn’t waste any time, climbing on top of him and settling on his thighs. Gaze firmly fixed on his cock, still throbbing with need and hungry for more. She wrapped her hand around the base of his length, her eyes widening a little when she saw how much distance there was between her fingers and thumb. It didn’t deter her, though. Her fingers slid up the length of his shaft, taking extra time to curiously explore each ridge and bump that she touched along the way. He hummed contently at the feeling, propping himself up on his elbows to watch her at work.

Her nimble little fingers allowed her to explore his cock in ways he’d never experienced before and each little touch felt like electricity rushing through him. His head lulled back as she started pumping his length, her movements slow and meticulous. Before long, she tightened her grip and picked up the pace. Working his cock perfectly, like they'd done this countless times before. His blissful sighs quickly changed to panting breaths and he could feel himself getting close. 

“Spirits,” he bit out. “I need more. Need to be inside you again.” 

She chuckled devilishly at that, gradually slowing her machinations as if to taunt him.

“I couldn’t agree more, Big Guy,” she purred, raising herself up onto her knees.

She held the base of his cock as she lined it up with her opening and it glided through her wetness with ease. 

“Ready?” she asked softly.

“Hell yes,” he growled, raising his head to meet her eye. 

Given how soaking wet she was, there was no need to wait around this time for her body to adjust. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from their joining, watching in awe as her body greedily took his length in its entirety. The sight drove him crazy, he really couldn’t get enough of it. Once he filled her, utterly and completely, they both sighed in contented relief. Like an addict finally getting that hit they’d been so desperately craving. Those magical hands rested on his chest and her body coiled sensually like a serpent as she started rolling her hips. 

Spirits, her being on top opened her up to him on a whole new level. With each movement, the tip of his cock lightly brushed against a wall inside her and she yelped in pleasure each time the two collided. He caressed the soft skin of her thighs, working his way up to hold onto that sexy little waist. He dug his talons in ever so slightly, just the way she liked it. She hissed in a breath and gave him a look that promised of trouble. Before he knew it, she was riding his cock like it was what she was born to do. 

Eventually, she leaned back and gripped his thighs tight. Every little sweet spot inside her, every sensitive nook and ridge on his cock.. all of them were simultaneously stimulated like this. If anything, it felt a little _too_ good but, damn, if it didn’t make for one hell of a view.

The way her shoulders stretched back put her full, perky breasts at centre stage. Her nipples still hardened in her aroused state, just waiting for his tongue to embrace them. That delicious concave curve of her flat stomach, with those hip bones jutting out through her soft skin. Further still, he could clearly see their joining from this angle. The way that tight little pussy could stretch to accommodate his girth was nothing short of spectacular. 

“Like what you see?” she purred, putting extra emphasis into the roll of her hips as she spoke. 

Spirits, she was just too much. He needed to touch her. Anywhere and everywhere. He sat up to meet her and she flashed that wicked grin, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“Now _that_ is an understatement,” he growled, holding her tight as he nipped at her neck. “You are quite honestly the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.” 

"I could say the same about you,” she said, playfully tugging on his mandible with her teeth. 

She claimed his mouth greedily and he returned in kind, tracing his talons across her jaw and around to cup the back of her head. The other clung to her hip, eager to feel the way her body moved as she rode his cock. She gyrated and twisted in circular motions between deep, rolling movements and he matched her with slow, upward thrusts. Spirits, he wasn’t going to be able to hold on for much longer.

As if she could sense it, she changed her position and raised herself enough that she could slide up and down his length with ease. Repeatedly lifting herself up enough for just the tip to remain inside before quickly slamming her hips back down. Fuck, this was it. He leaned back a little and met her movements with hard thrusts of his own. 

“Fuck, Ash, I’m gonna cum,” he bit out.

“Good,” she said breathlessly. “I wanna feel you.” 

He shot up at that, holding her tight as he buried his head in her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her soft, delectable body right into him as he thrust deep inside her.

“Cum for me, Garrus,” she whispered in his ear.

As she spoke, she deftly massaged that spot beneath his fringe and he came utterly undone. He let out a roar that rang through the room like a thunderclap as he came long and hard inside her. It felt so intense. Just too much.. and he sunk his teeth into her shoulder without thinking. She cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain, gripping him tight before her body clenched around his length. Pulsing waves milked his cock for every last drop as they rode out their climax together. 

They stayed there for long moments, simply enjoying the afterglow. His fingers tangled through her hair as her own caressed his neck and beneath his mandibles. She would roll her hips a little and he would rock into her each time a gentle pulse rippled through them. As they both panted heavily, trying to catch their breath, they both laughed a little. Overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of their shared experience. He tenderly licked the trickles of blood from the wound on her shoulder, feeling a little guilty. 

“I’m sorry about that,” he said softly, sweeping her hair off her shoulder. “Got a little carried away.” 

“You worry too much, Big Guy,” she chuckled. “It was actually insanely fucking hot.” 

“You certainly did seem to react well to it at the time,” he purred, pressing his lips to hers. 

“Exactly,” she beamed. “Honestly, it was perfect.”

“I think that’s mainly down to you,” he pondered. “Pretty sure you were specifically made for pleasure.”

“Says the guy with a dick that's fancier than my most expensive vibrators,” she snorted. 

Spirits. As soon as she said that, his mind instantly flooded with images of her pleasuring herself with a variety of toys. Now that truly would be a sight to behold. Her laying on the bed with her legs spread wide. Her cheeks flushed with that rosy hue. Crying out as she made herself orgasm over and over. His cock apparently enjoyed the thought just as much as his mind, immediately stiffening again inside her. 

“Jesus christ on a bicycle, Garrus,” she gasped. “How are you hard again already?” 

“Well,” he chuckled. “You mentioned something about you and vibrators, my brain went to some place wonderful, and.. here we are.” 

“Is that a turian thing?” she asked in disbelief.

“Is what a turian thing?”

“Well.. it’s just that human men need at least a few hours before they can go again.. and that’s if you’re lucky.” 

_Wait, what?_

“Seriously?” 

“Mmhmm.”

He couldn’t believe it. How did human women cope before they first explored the stars? Although, this meant that Ash had absolutely no idea about what was in store for her. If she thought this was the end of their late night fucking session, she was in for one hell of a pleasant surprise. 

_Time for a little lesson on turian stamina._

It spurred him on to no end, and he couldn’t wait to get started.

“Oh, my gorgeous little human,” he purred, his lips tracing along her neck. “We are nowhere near finished here.” 

He tucked her legs over his hip spurs and gripped her tight as he got to his feet. She let out a delighted squeal as he lifted her with him and started walking towards the door. 

“Once I’ve had my way with you, no human is ever gonna cut it for you again.”

“Yeahhh.. I think that ship has sailed, Big Guy,” she teased.

“If it’s any consolation, I think you’ve pretty much ruined me for turian women.” 

She laughed a little and put her lips to his, teasing her tongue into his mouth. Only stopping to look around every which way as they carried on down the hallway. 

“Uh.. Blue.. where are we going?” 

“The kitchen,” he said simply. 

“Why?”

“Well, I’m gonna lay that sexy little ass of yours down on the table I saw in there earlier,” he began, squeezing her ass for emphasis. “And then I'm gonna fuck you the way a woman like you deserves.” 

“Oh, really? And how is that?” she asked in that seductive, smokey voice. 

“However you damn well want.. preferably all night long,” he purred, flexing his talons into her soft skin. 

“Wow.. that must have been some kiss, huh?” she teased.

“Oh, Ash. You have no idea.”


	7. I'm Counting On It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the smutty goodness as much as the last chapter. It's a little different this time but, hopefully it'll still tick the right boxes. 
> 
> *Saccharos = Sort of like a cinnamon iced bun  
> *Ova = Eggs  
> *Caro = Steak  
> *Bellarias = Sweet Pastries
> 
> Once again, thank you to Kirsten for giving this the once over for me. 
> 
> Enjoy!

She blinked a few times as she awoke. Hot damn, she genuinely couldn’t remember the last time she'd had such a restful sleep. Not even a single nightmare. Instead, the sexiest god damn dream she’d ever had. At least, she thought it was a dream. Until she looked down and saw the huge, three fingered hand resting on her stomach. She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of the handsome, slumberous turian behind her. He stirred a little, pulling her closer against his chest. Definitely not a dream, then. 

_Spooning with a turian,_ she thought to herself with a chuckle. _This is new._

The memories of the night before came flooding back. Back at the bar, with Mr Leather and his gross pick up lines..

_“Hey baby, you wanna put that tongue to good use?”_

_Ugh, asshole. Should have just shot him there and then._

She still couldn't believe he'd ruined her god damn game. Asshole. Then, of course, his piss poor attempt at an ambush.

_I still can’t believe he actually wet his pants.._

Then, in strides Garrus Vakarian, coming to her aid like a knight in living, shining armour. How it went from that to him fucking her brains out all night, she had absolutely no idea. She didn’t much care, either. All she knew was that she felt _sore_. Sore, and _extremely_ god damn satisfied.

In his sleepy state, he rubbed his cheek on the side of her head with his mandible tangling in her hair. Soft vibrations rumbled in his chest, making her body tingle right down to her toes. 

_Is he.. purring?_

He _was_. It was a little adorable, she had to cover her mouth to stifle her giggling. It felt so nice, though. He was ridiculously warm. The combination of his body heat and those little purrs made for an incredibly soothing sensation. Quite the opposite to how she usually started the day. She idly wondered how those vibrations would feel with his head between her thighs. All the magical things he could do, especially with that tongue. Oh lord, that tongue. It was just so long and.. _flexible_.

_I wonder what he’d do if I just climbed him right now._

Nope. She had to get her mind out of the damn gutter. Was he incredibly attractive? Yes. Did he give her the most incredible sex she’d ever had? Also yes. _However_ , that didn’t necessarily mean he'd still feel the same this morning, especially with no alcohol involved. There was a good chance that he'd wake up, realise he’d fucked a human in his drunken state, then make a break for it without so much as a farewell. 

She needed a game plan. The first step; get out of this damn bed.. somehow. She gently held his hand and raised it high enough for her to slip out underneath his arm. She moved at a snails pace and finally edged far enough away but, that was only half the battle. Now, to give his hand back and get off the bed without disturbing him. She lowered his arm down steadily until it rested on the bed and then waited a beat..

Nothing. 

_Just a little moreeee,_ she thought, quietly scooching her butt to the edge of the bed. 

Suddenly, he stirred and shifted and she froze on the spot. He said something she couldn’t make out before rolling over to lay on his other side, still very much asleep and mumbling sweet nothings to himself. She had to cover her mouth again, silently laughing into her hand. 

As her feet hit the floor, her legs buckled a little in their jelly-like state. She tip-toed over to the dresser, glancing back over her shoulder now and again to make sure the coast was clear. She didn’t bother hanging around to get dressed, just grabbing the first things she could see and getting her naked butt out of that door pronto. 

Once she was in the clear, she quickly pulled on the random vest and shorts combo she’d snagged in her haste and moved onto phase two; painkillers and medi gel. Whilst she had thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of Garrus' magnificent cock, her insides felt a little.. raw. _Totally_ worth it. She took both from her medicine cabinet, knocking back a couple of pills and slathering a little medi gel between her thighs. She let out a sigh of relief, the cool gel instantly taking the edge off when it touched her skin. 

A quick brush of her teeth and a once over in the mirror, she definitely looked like a woman who’d been fucked within an inch of her life. Hair sticking out all over the show; check. Lips a little swollen from some killer make out sessions; check. Shit-eating grin; _check_. Her eyes drifted to the teeth marks on her shoulder, tracing her fingers through each little indent. She smiled as she relived the moment in her mind. He’d been so passionate and dominant, yet tender and caring. Eager to satisfy her but, just as mindful to make her feel safe and secure. It was incredibly endearing. 

Now for the final phase, the one she’d been dreading; how the fuck to handle this. The nicer option; assume he’d want to stay a while and prepare accordingly. Or, be ready to politely wish him well when he inevitably wakes up and hurries out the door. No doubt he’d done this countless times before. Maybe not with a human but, still. She couldn’t imagine he stuck around after every conquest. 

That being said, she liked this handsome, witty turian. Their flirty banter and playful jabs had come so easily, as though they’d known each other for years. From the moment they met in that alley, fire in his cerulean eyes after practically smashing the skull out of a man’s head.. she'd felt an undeniable pull to him. Like a building energy between them that she could physically feel. 

In the end, she opted for the nicer option. If he wasn’t game, fair enough. He said he wasn’t on Omega for long anyway so, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about them awkwardly bumping into one another at random. With that, she nodded at her reflection in resolve and headed for the kitchen to set to work. 

A short while later and everything was almost good to go. She leaned in to take a whiff of the caro sizzling away in the pan, humming contently as the delicious scent filled her nose. 

“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars,” she sang softly to herself. “Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.”

“Should have known you’d be a good singer with a voice like that,” a voice purred from behind her, still husky from sleep. 

She startled a little, spinning on the spot to face the source of the ridiculously sexy voice. Her eyes landed on a smirking, half naked turian, leaning on the threshold of the doorway. His arms were folded across his chest, showing off those deliciously large muscles. Silver plates, tan hide, crystal blue eyes.. he was gorgeous. His smirk grew bigger and she realised she must have been staring for some time now. 

_Say something, you idiot._

“Morning, Blue. Sorry, I didn’t realise you were up. I.. uh.. made breakfast,” she jabbered, apparently a little more nervous than she thought. “There's ova, caro.. and some bellarias, too. If you prefer that sorta thing. No pressure, though. I know you’ve got places to be. I just thought you might be hungry..”

His brow plates raised, his grin grew wider and she laughed a little. 

“Sorry, I’m blabbering. I don’t usually do this kind of thing..” 

He pushed off of the doorway, taking confident strides towards her. 

_God damn it. How come he can keep his cool and I’m just a flustered, waffling mess?_

She lost all train of thought when he stopped in front of her, tucking his finger beneath her chin as he leaned down and delicately pressed his lips to hers. 

“Good morning,” he rumbled in that voice. That stupid, sexy voice that turned her brain to goo. “Breakfast sounds great, thank you.” 

“Perfect,” she beamed, quietly relieved that he didn't just freak out and make a break for it. “Would you like coffee? There’s a fresh pot ready to go.” 

“Caro, bellarias _and_ fresh coffee?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling into her neck. “You really are something else.” 

With him bent down a little, she could embrace him, too. He was so warm, made her feel safe. Considering he was covered in plates of living armour, being pressed up against him wasn’t the slightest bit uncomfortable. In fact, _quite_ the opposite.

“Well, after last night.. I’d say you've earned it,” she chuckled. 

He cupped her ass, lifting her up to sit her on the kitchen worktop, resting his hands on her thighs as he stepped in between her legs. 

“I take it that means you enjoyed yourself?”

“You were alright,” she said with a shrug, smirking at him. 

“Is that so?” he rumbled. 

_God damn, that voice._

He hooked one of his talons beneath her vest strap, sliding the flimsy bit of string over her shoulder. That remarkable tongue of his teased across her skin as he lightly nipped along her collarbone. 

“And how about this.. is this ‘alright'?” 

Holy cow, this guy just had a way of pressing _all_ the right buttons. He was an incredibly fast learner. She tried to play it cool but that voice.. that tongue.. it took everything she had not to turn into putty in his hands. And what magical hands they were, too. 

“Yeah,” she whispered, exposing her neck to give him better access. “..that’s one word for it.” 

His chuckle vibrated through her as his lips trailed across her skin. All she could think about was dragging him back to bed and ripping his god damn clothes off. How the hell did he effect her this easily? She had to snap out of it. Sharpish.

“Okay, ease up there, cowboy..” she said reluctantly, gently encouraging him to stand up straight. 

He complied, a smug looking grin on his face. 

“Your body is saying something _quite_ different to that pretty little mouth of yours,” he teased, tracing his talons up and down her thighs. 

“Yes, I know. Right now, every other part of me is telling my mouth to fuck off. Be that as it may.. breakfast first, then..” 

“Then..?” 

“Well,” she said, smirking at him as she booped his nose. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” 

He conceded, letting her hop down off the worktop and she gestured for him to sit at the table. As she popped his plate down in front of him, he chirruped in thanks, knowing that she would hear it. It made her laugh a little, such a sweet sound to come from an apex-predator. Not to mention the purring.

“Thank you for this,” he said sincerely. “You didn’t have to go to such lengths on my account. Although, I’m a little curious as to why a human would want to eat and drink dextro..” 

He reached for the coffee pot and gestured towards her mug.

“Thanks,” she said, holding it up for him. “I just prefer the taste really. Plus, a couple of my turian friends come round quite often to hang out so, I always like to have food and beer here for them.” 

Once he’d finished pouring her coffee, she held it to her mouth and lightly blew onto the steaming liquid before taking a sip. 

“Well, I appreciate it,” he said, humming happily as he took a bite of his caro. “Other than my mum, I think you’re the only person who’s ever made me breakfast.” 

“Damn, that’s some tough competition,” she teased. “Nothing can ever beat mum’s cooking.”

All this talk of food and not enough actually _eating_ it. She was fucking ravenous. She picked up a bellaria and went to town on it. The sweet, buttery goodness barely touching the sides as it went down. She looked over at Garrus to find him looking particularly amused.. and maybe a little horrified. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, swallowing down the last bite. 

“Don’t be,” he chuckled, “If you weren’t here right now, I’d be going at this caro with my hands.” 

“Don’t let me stop you,” she shrugged. “I told you, this is a judgment free zone.” 

And he did just that. Both of them laughing a little as they scoffed their food as if it were their last meal. To be fair, they had _definitely_ worked up an appetite.

“For a human, you cook dextro remarkably well,” he purred, hooking a piece of caro on his talon before teasing it off with his teeth. “Might even give my mum a run for her money.” 

“Well, that’s certainly one hell of a compliment,” she beamed. “What’s your favourite thing your mum makes for you?”

“Saccharos,” he replied without a moments hesitation. “Something about the way she makes them.. ugh.. just perfect. She always has a fresh batch waiting for me when I go and visit.” 

Seeing him so happy, chirping and humming away as he spoke of his mum, it was quite sweet. But, then he changed. His mandibles pulled tight against his jaw and he let out this quiet keening noise that reminded her of a dog's cry. He was.. sad.

“You miss her?”

“Yeah,” he huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s sick.. _really_ sick. She’s in the later stages of corpalis syndrome and, well, there’s no cure for it yet. So..” 

“I’m sorry, Garrus,” she said sincerely.

“Thanks. I just always feel so guilty for leaving Palaven, you know? My sister had to pick up a lot of the flack when I left, and I think she resents me for that sometimes. I do everything I can to try and help but, it’s not the same as actually being there.” 

“She’s your family. I don’t know why you left but, I’m sure she understands your reasons.”

He went quiet for a moment, quietly pondering to himself.

“Have you ever had someone try to dictate every aspect of your life? What you should do, who you should be with?”

_Like you wouldn't believe.._

“I.. uh.. can imagine it, yeah.”

“Well, that’s my father. My entire life, he’s wanted me to follow in his footsteps to the letter. Not giving a damn about whether it’s what I actually wanted. In the end, he was ruthless with it. Leaving seemed like the only way I could take my life back.” 

He took a sip of his coffee and shook his head a little.

“Sorry. I, uh.. don’t usually talk about this stuff,” he mumbled awkwardly. 

“There’s no need to apologise, Blue. Honestly. I’m just honoured you feel comfortable enough to talk to me about it. But, I would say your reasons for leaving are justified. Everyone has the right to forge their own path in life. I’m sure your mum understands that.. and your sister, too.” 

“I hope so,” he sighed. 

He gave her a genuine smile that gave her those fluttering butterflies in her stomach. 

“Thanks, Ash. Seriously.”

“Anytime, Blue.” 

“So,” he began, sounding a little more upbeat. “You said you’re doing deliveries today.. is that what you do for a living?” 

_God damn it, here we go._

“Uhhh.. not exactly,” she said vaguely. “I do odd jobs here and there to help people out with whatever they may need. I do a lot of repairs. A little protection work. Some shopping for the elderly folks around here. But, today I’m just helping out a friend.” 

“Protection work?” he mused. “I guess after seeing you in the alley last night, I shouldn’t be surprised.” 

“It pays the bills,” she shrugged. “So.. what about you? You said you came here to get something for your ship. Are you a mechanic or an engineer or something?” 

“Uh.. no,” he chuckled. “Not quite. The ship is.. uh.. fairly new. I’m not even sure if I’ll find what it is I’m looking for.”

“Well, you should definitely check out Harrott's Emporium, that crazy old elcor always has some pretty decent stuff stashed away.” 

“Thanks. I'll, uh, bear that in mind," he said, laughing a little. 

But, there it was again. His whole demeanour shifted, mandibles pulled tight against his face as he pushed the remnants of his food around his plate. 

“Look, Ash. If today goes as planned and I find what I need.. it’s likely I’ll be leaving Omega tomorrow.”

Damn. When he said he wouldn’t be here for long, she didn’t realise he’d be leaving quite so soon. She felt more upset about it than she'd expected. 

“Oh..” she said solemnly. “Well, while I hope you find what you’re looking for, it’ll be sad to see you go, Blue.” 

“Yeah. I was actually hoping you might.. let me take you to dinner this evening. If you have the time, obviously,” he mumbled in an adorably awkward way. “Or, we can just grab a drink somewhere, if you’d prefer.”

“Garrus Vakarian, are you asking me on a date?”

“Ha, yeah..” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I am. It doesn’t have to be a big deal or anything, if that’s not what you’re in to. But, I’d like to see you again before I leave.”

Seeing him all flustered was a little funny, and incredibly cute. 

“Hot date with a handsome turian? Yeah, who’d be into _that_ ,” she teased, swatting the notion away like a pesky fly. “Dinner sounds great. There’s an amazing little dextro restaurant by the Marketplace. We could go there, if you like?” 

“Sounds perfect,” he chirped, a little more relaxed than he had been. 

Once they were both finished eating, she moved to start clearing the table. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got it,” he insisted, beating her to the punch. 

“Wow,” she beamed, perching against the table. “Quite the gentleman, huh?” 

“Hmm.. maybe,” he purred, placing the dishes in the sink. “Just don’t tell anyone, I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Your lips are certainly something..” 

“You’re such an ass,” she snorted. 

He looked over at her, flashing that smile that made her insides do somersaults. His eyes drifted between her and the table a few times before he smirked and carried on with what he was doing. 

“You’re thinking about last night, aren’t you?” 

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” he chirped innocently, gaze firmly fixed on the sink as he chuckled to himself. 

“Uh huh.” 

If he wanted to play games, fair enough. She could play games, too. 

“That’s a shame, you know, because I haven’t been able to _stop_ thinking about it. In fact, I was just about to get in the shower to have a _really good_ think about it,” she said seductively, whipping off her vest and chucking it at him. 

It hooked onto the end of his fringe and she couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed to take him a moment to register what she said but, as soon as he felt that, he turned on the spot to face her. 

“I was kinda hoping you’d join me but, if you’d rather do the dishes then that’s cool, too,” she teased, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

The _look_ he gave her. She'd seen it countless times last night; a deep, powerful hunger. This guy had some killer bedroom eyes and it sent a thrill rushing through her every god damn time. He took confident strides towards her, pulling her vest off his fringe and chucking it aside without a second thought. 

“Are you seriously asking me if I’d rather wash dishes than fuck a beautiful woman?”

“Who said anything about _that_?” she said innocently, opening up her Omni-Tool to turn the shower on. “I just thought we could think about it together, that’s all.” 

“You don’t say..”

She smirked and ran for the bathroom with him following swiftly behind. Huge, strong arms wrapped around her waist as they got through the bathroom door and she couldn’t help but squeal. She'd barely ever squealed in her entire god damn life. Two days with Garrus Vakarian and she was like a fucking hamster. He span her around to face him and backed her up against the cool glass wall of the shower. His hands came to rest either side of her head, effectively caging her in. 

“Tell you what,” he purred, leaning in close. “If you can go five minutes in there without touching me, then I might just believe you.” 

Good _lord_ , this guy simply _oozed_ sex appeal. Everything about him. She gazed at him appreciatively, working her way up his formidable form. He looked as if he’d been chiselled to absolute perfection. Tall and lean, with huge muscles and broad shoulders that made you feel completely cocooned. Pair that with his handsome face and those gorgeous blue eyes.. he was one hunky ass turian. 

“Hmm..” she pondered, stroking up his chest. “No deal.” 

“Yeah,” he rumbled, smirking a little. “I thought as much.”

Their eyes locked and the atmosphere that hung in the air between them was intense, the running water and steamy mist adding to the feeling of the calm before the storm. Like that brief moment in time between pulling the pin and the grenade going off. 

As if on cue, they both lunged for one another. Their lips crashing together as their hands explored the other desperately. He ran his talons through her hair as she caressed him everywhere she could. It didn’t take long for her hands to make their way down to the hem of his sweatpants, tucking her fingers inside to heave them down. 

“Eager, are we?” he chuckled against her lips. 

“Fuck yes,” she breathed. “Take them off.” 

He smirked at that, stepping back to remove them the rest of the way. Once he had, he chucked them somewhere without a care, standing tall and proud as he closed the distance. She could hardly blame him. He was perfect. Especially with that spectacular cock standing at the ready, fully erect and ribbed for her pleasure. She was getting wet just thinking about it. 

“You know,” he rumbled, raising her chin to meet his eye. “That pretty little mouth of yours is gonna get you into trouble if you’re not careful.”

“Oh, Blue,” she purred, wrapping her hand around the base of his cock. “I’m counting on it.” 

He growled lustfully as she started pumping his length, and god damn if she didn’t love it. Before she could pick up the pace, he moved her hand away and tucked his talons inside the hem of her shorts.

“Do you have any attachment to these?”

“Uhh.. no..” 

“Good,” he growled.

Before she knew it, his talons had torn through the fabric like a knife through warm butter. As the remnants of her shorts fell to her feet, her breath hitched a little and a chill rushed through her for all the right reasons. 

“That was so fucking hot, Garrus.”

He didn’t say anything in reply, instead claiming her mouth hungrily as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him. As he did, his throbbing cock rested against her stomach, and her core ached at the thought of having him inside her again. He urged her towards the shower door, taking his hand away for only the briefest moment to open it and usher them inside. 

As they stepped into the mist and beneath the shower’s stream, the heat ignited their senses and increased their desire tenfold. She wanted to pleasure him in every way, satisfy his every need.. and she knew just how to do it. As their tongues entwined, she subtly ushered him backwards until he met the edge of the bench, falling back to sit on his ass as she moved to stand between his legs. 

Those magical hands glided across her shower soaked skin with ease. Caressing up the back of her thighs, over the curves of her ass and along her waist. One moved to cup her breast, and she watched him marvelling at the trickles of water flowing down to her nipple before dripping off the hardened peak. He was always so curious, his gaze intense as he explored every aspect of her alien body. To have someone so intently focused on you, determined to learn each and every one of your body's hidden secrets to drive you wild.. it was a huge fucking turn on. 

As another water droplet beaded at the tip of her nipple, his thumb pad swept across to catch it before it could drop, and she moaned softly at his touch. Whilst his hide wasn’t necessarily rough, it was much tougher than a human's and felt incredible against the more sensitive areas on her body. 

“Spirits, I love how responsive you are,” he said softly, tracing his talons across her skin. 

She never thought she’d see the day where she’d enjoy such a feeling but, every time he did it, her whole body would shiver in response. Just that tiny hint of pain. That little burning tingle that sent fire through her veins and ignited her senses. God damn it, he was right. She was completely ruined for human men now, wasn’t she?

 _Stupid, sexy turian._

“You’re so sensitive everywhere I touch you,” he rumbled. “I can’t get enough of it.” 

He took her nipple in his mouth, teasing his teeth across the sensitive skin.

“Yeah. You and me both, Big Guy,” she said breathlessly, leaning into his touch.

He wasn’t as cautious now, she could tell. Especially when that magnificent tongue curled around the hardened peak like a boa constrictor and pinched it tight. She cried out without a care, gripping his shoulder like it was the only thing keeping her on solid ground. He wrapped his arm around her to keep her steady, clutching her breast tighter as he sucked and nipped at her flesh. 

God damn it, it was supposed to be her turn to get him all hot and bothered. Everything he did was just so damn distracting.. and fucking incredible. She reluctantly urged him to stop, pushing his shoulders back so he’d sit up straight.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

“No, Blue,” she soothed, pressing her lips to his. “It feels amazing.” 

She slid her fingers beneath his mandibles, gently dragging her nails across his hide the way she knew he liked it. 

“I just wanna see how responsive _you_ are.” 

“Mmm, I like the sound of that,” he purred, squeezing her ass. 

“Thought you might,” she quipped, teasing her tongue into his mouth before getting to her knees. 

There she was, knelt before his cock like worshipping at the sexiest god damn altar that ever was. He was throbbing with lust, the glossy sheen of his excitement glistening across the tip. Her hands caressed across the water-soaked plates of his thighs, easing their way closer until they met at his cock, and her thumbs massaged the base in little upward strokes as her fingers wrapped around his girth. When she looked up at him, she couldn’t help but feel a little awestruck. His plates had this remarkable shine to them in their saturated state, almost sparkling in the light. The way the water rivulets trickled down his lean, muscular form was truly mesmerising.

_He really is beautiful._

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, then slid her hands up and down his length, leaning in to press her lips to the tip of his cock. 

“Uh.. what are you doing?” 

She looked up at him and couldn’t help but laugh a little.

_Why does he look like I’m about to bite his dick off and beat him with it?_

“What? You never had a girl go down on you before?” 

_If that’s the case.. boy, are you in for one hell of a wild ride, Big Guy._

“If you’re implying what I think you are, need I remind you about turian teeth?” 

Her core throbbed at the thought. Though, it made sense. If turian women had teeth like his, she could understand his hesitance.

“No.. but you’re welcome to remind me any time you like,” she teased. “Just.. sit back and relax, okay? If you don’t like it, tell me and I promise I’ll stop.” 

“Spirits,” he huffed. “Why can’t I seem to say no to you?” 

“I know the feeling," she tittered. "Just trust me, I have a sneaky suspicion you’re going to enjoy this.” 

As she rested her hand on the hide of his groin, all she could feel was how damn tense he was. She took it nice and steady to ease him into it, starting with a gentle tease around the tip with her tongue but, he tensed up even more. Though, when she wrapped her lips around him, he let it _all_ go. She worked her way just a tad further down his length, sucking lightly as she swirled her tongue around his girth. 

“Spirits,” he bit out, his talons gripping onto the edge of the bench. 

She sucked a little harder on the tip as she pulled away, looking up to meet his gaze. Those cerulean eyes were filled with the same lustful fire that she felt. She had him right where she wanted him and it only fueled her desire. 

“What’s the matter, Blue?” she asked mischievously. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Don't even think about it,” he growled. 

She chuckled devilishly at that. Now that she knew he was into it, it was time to blow this guy’s god damn mind. To start with, she trailed her tongue up his length over every bump and ridge, from the base right to the tip. As she did, she locked eyes with him and his chest rumbled with that deep, carnal growl that made her just want to pin him down and ride him all damn day. 

Once she reached the tip, she swirled and teased her tongue around a little before wrapping her lips around him. This time, she slowly took his length as deep as she could go. His cock was huge and rock solid but, she could relax her throat enough to take him most of the way. 

She carried on like that, keeping a steady pace as she took as much of his length as she could, her tongue deftly exploring each nook and ridge along the way. Each time she eased back up, she would suck the tip and tease it ever so slightly before going back for more. That growl lingered in his chest, growing more prominent with each heavy moan that escaped him. Bringing those bestial, lustful sounds out of this absolute force of nature.. it drove her fucking wild. She was already so god damn wet, she could feel it. Her sex was swollen and aching with need. She needed to kick things up a notch, yearning to feel him inside her again. So, she switched up the tempo, keeping a tight suction on his cock as she worked his length with everything she had. 

“Spirits, Ash,” he panted. “That feels..”

He was too lost in the feeling to say more. He leaned back a little, meeting her movements with gentle thrusts of his own. Even now, still mindful not to hurt her. She felt the base of his cock tightening beneath her hand as his breathing got heavier.. he was close. 

With that, she swapped tactics, her lips and tongue working the top half of his cock greedily whilst her hand pumped the base. A little twist of the wrist here, a little twirl of the tongue there, and soon his talons seemed like they were going to rip right through the bench. 

“Fuck, Ash, stop,” he bit out. “I’m gonna cum..”

She shook her head as she carried on, craving everything he had to give her. She tightened her grip and sucked a little harder. Working him relentlessly until he exploded with a ferocious roar that made her whole body tremble in delight. A hot, rushing wave flooded from his cock and she took it all gladly, milking him through his climax until he was utterly spent. He tasted divine, like a sweet syrup with a bit of a twang, and she savoured every last drop. 

Once she could feel that he’d finished, she teasingly licked the tip of his cock and then got to her feet. She felt pretty damn proud of herself, watching his chest heaving with his deep, thoroughly satisfied breaths. He stood tall, striding towards her. She couldn’t help but smirk when their eyes locked. His gaze spoke of delightful, toe-curling consequences.. and she couldn’t fucking wait.

Sure enough, he grabbed her waist to lift her up and she wrapped herself around him, hooking her legs over his hip spurs. It was the perfect fit, like they'd evolved their shape for this sole purpose. He slammed her back against the glass. Hard. As he did, his cock slid through her folds and rubbed against her clit in just the right way, making her cry out desperately. He was already recharged, his cock throbbing between her thighs and ready for more. 

“I told you that pretty mouth of yours was gonna get you into trouble,” he rumbled. 

“And I told _you_ that I was counting on it,” she whispered against his lips. 

"Spirits, Ash," he growled.

He took her lips ferociously, tightly pinning her against the wall as his free hand worked its way between her thighs. She sighed at the feel of him sweeping through her wetness, moaning shamelessly into his mouth when he slowly slid his finger inside her. Damn it, it felt too good and she was so close. She reluctantly tore her lips away.. if he carried on like that, she wasn’t going to last much longer. 

“I’m so wet already, Garrus," she insisted. “Please, just fuck me. I need to feel you..” 

“..are you sure?” he asked cautiously. 

His features completely softened. From totally wet and wild to sweet and tender in an instant. Just as he had been all through the night, never too far gone to risk rushing things before her body was ready. He really was a gentleman. She genuinely couldn’t recall ever having met a guy like him before. Honestly? She suspected she wouldn’t in the future, either. She knew it was crazy to even think that, she barely knew this guy. But, this energy between them.. whatever it was.. it pulled her to him. With each second they spent together, it was getting harder to pull away. 

_Damn it, Blue. If you didn’t have to go, I could really see myself falling for you.._

“Yeah, Garrus,” she assured him, softly pressing her lips to his. “I’m sure.” 

He gave her that genuine smile as he leaned in to take her lips again, their tongues coiling around one another in a slow and sensual embrace. A little whimper escaped her as the tip of his cock glided through her folds to meet her opening and her core clenched in reply, longing to be filled. He eased himself inside a little, leaning back to look at her.

“You ready?”

“Mmhmm,” she purred.

“Spirits,” he breathed, shaking his head. “I’ve never wanted anyone so badly.” 

“The feeling is _definitely_ mutual, Blue,” she chuckled, massaging the hide of his neck.

He took her lips once more, his talons tangling through her hair as he steadily urged himself inside her. Oh god, he felt so damn good, it was ridiculous. When she’d told him he had a dick nicer than her most expensive toys, she wasn’t lying. She’d spent over 250 credits on the ultimate girls pleasure gadget, and he genuinely put it to shame. The way the ridges along his cock massaged each and every sensitive spot inside her, it made her body writhe uncontrollably, desperate for more. 

As he slowly thrust deeper, he hit a particularly delicious spot that made her hiss in a breath, her sex clenching around him to greedily coax him in further. She knew he loved it; her body tightly gripping his cock from every which way. Right on cue, his chest rumbled with that sensual growl that made her toes curl. With her pressed up against him like this, she could feel it like tingling vibrations, titillating every nerve ending in her nipples at once. 

“Oh god,” she breathed. “You have no idea how fucking horny it makes me when you do that."

He chuckled with that devilish laugh that made him rumble in much the same way, bringing about the exact same sensation. Her sex pulsed with need and she felt frantic. Teetering on the edge and wanting nothing more than to be utterly consumed by him. 

“You know, if you keep saying things like that to me with that voice of yours, this isn’t going to last much longer..” he purred.

He moved his hands to cup her ass, lifting her up a little more. The shift in position opened her up to him completely, eager for everything he had to give her. 

“Coming from the guy with a voice like melted chocolate,” she scoffed between panting breaths. “I’m pretty sure you could get me off just by talking.”

“Really?” he purred, rocking his hips into her.. _painfully_ slow. “Would you care to test that theory?” 

“Garrus, please, I’m so close,” she pleaded. “It’s driving me crazy..” 

He smirked a little as he leaned in close, her eyes fluttering shut when his magical tongue slithered up her throat.

"You wanna know what drives me crazy?" he whispered in her ear. "The way your hot little body reacts when I touch you. The way you scream my name when I fuck you. How fucking sexy you look with my cock in your mouth. Most of all? The way your tight, wet pussy feels when you cum for me."

Each sentence was punctuated by a teasing roll of his hips and a nip along her neck with his teeth.

“Jesus christ, Garrus,” she gasped, her chest heaving like someone had just sucked all of the oxygen from the room. 

Holy fucking shit. He was playing her like a god damn fiddle and she couldn't get enough of it. His voice was like warm honey dripping all over her skin, trickling down to pool at her sex. She needed all of him. Now.

She lunged forward and kissed him hungrily, one hand gripping the back of his neck as the other rushed to his waist. She deftly kneaded the sensitive hide, working both at the same time and her ears were instantly filled with a fierce, bestial roar. He held her so damn tight and buried himself deep inside her in one mighty thrust. They both cried out in euphoria, the feeling hitting him like a rush of adrenaline. 

From that moment on, it was all raw, hard, relentless fucking.. and it was absolute god damn magic. He drove into her with a vengeance, thrusting so hard and fast that she lost all presence of mind. This feeling, to be filled so completely, have every sensation wracked through you at once, it was indescribable. The only thing she knew was that she was at the point of no return. Like a gunpowder trail, igniting its way to the inevitable explosion with each swift thrust. As the tip of his cock collided with that little wall inside her, the dam broke, and she screamed unashamedly at the sweet, rush of her release. 

“ **Fuck** ,” he snarled before erupting with a guttural roar, his talons screeching as he dragged them down the glass. 

They came unravelled as one, an overwhelming climax surging through every fiber of their being. Her entire body trembled with pulsing shocks of pleasure and he rode into her with each wave, his body quivering beneath her touch as he filled her with his lust. They clung to one another desperately, the powerful rushes of their orgasm eventually easing to gentle ripples. 

“Spirits,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. “That was..” 

“Hell yeah it was,” she agreed, in much the same state of delirium. “My body’s gone all tingly.”

“Mine too,” he chuckled. 

A contented quiet hung in the air as they regained their composure, only the sounds of running water and their panting breaths filling the space. They lingered there beneath the warm downpour, both carelessly stroking and caressing the other in their blissful state.

“I’m.. uh.. sorry about your shower,” he said once he'd settled a little. “I’ll cover the costs to replace the glass.” 

“Garrus, you just made me cum so hard I have little black and white dots dancing across my vision.. you can shatter the damn thing for all I care,” she teased, sighing happily. “Besides, it’ll be like a nice reminder of my steamy encounter with a certain hunky turian.”

And just like that, reality hit them like a tonne of bricks. So wrapped up in their little lust bubble that they’d forgotten what tomorrow would bring. He touched his forehead to hers and they stayed like that for long moments. Whatever this was, it was incredibly calming. She liked it.

“We should probably think about getting ready now, huh?” she said finally.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I guess so.” 

He slid out of her slowly, both of them relishing that last sensation as he did so. She unhooked her legs somewhat reluctantly and he lowered her back down to the ground. After all of that, her legs had about as much stability as a newborn lamb. 

“Why don’t you go ahead and get changed? I should probably have an actual shower first..”

“I don’t mind staying,” he purred.

“Big Guy, as much as I would love that, I have a feeling we’ll end up in here all day if you do.”

“I’m okay with that..”

_Damn it, Blue. Don’t tempt me.._

She folded her arms across her chest and sunk into her hip, giving him a look that she hoped told him that she wasn’t backing down. He stepped closer, smirking away. 

“Such a feisty little thing,” he chuckled, raising her chin to delicately kiss her lips. "Have it your way, then." 

With that, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel on his way out of the bathroom. As she watched his gorgeous ass leaving, she kicked herself internally. Why the hell did she say no? Spending the day getting down and dirty with Garrus was far more appealing than copious amounts of running and dodging gunfire. Realistically, she knew she wouldn’t bail on her commitments, no matter how enticing the alternative may be.

Once she’d finished actually showering and reflecting on the utterly mind blowing sex she just had, she twisted the nozzle to turn off the water, the cooler air instantly hitting her as she stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her and headed for the bedroom as quickly as her wobbly legs could carry her. As she stepped through the threshold, her eyes landed on the handsome turian sat on the edge of her bed, only slightly disappointed to see he was fully dressed already.

“Hey,” he said, getting to his feet. 

“Hey yourself,” she chirped. “You feel better now you’ve got your trusty visor back on?” 

_He looks so god damn hot with it, maybe I should have let him keep it on.._

“A little,” he shrugged. “I’d feel a whole lot better if I didn’t have to leave so soon.” 

_You're not the only one, Blue._

“Yeah, I know. We can always pick up where we left off after dinner..” she said enticingly, slinking over to stand in front of him. 

“Alright, I can work with that,” he purred, sweeping her damp hair off her shoulder. "At least we already know the sex is amazing before the first date, right?" 

“First and last,” she said, laughing a little. Though there was no joy in it, only a hint of sadness. 

He wrapped an arm around the small of her back, the other resting against her neck as she looked up into those beautiful, crystal blue eyes. 

“Don’t worry about that for now, we’ll work something out,” he assured her. “I’m really sorry, Ash, but I do have to go. Ping me when you get home and we’ll sort out what time to meet and where."

“How exactly am I supposed to reach you?” 

“I.. uh.. may have put my details into your Omni-Tool while you were sleeping,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."

“Wow, kinda sneaky there, Vakarian,” she teased. “Alright, I’ll ping you when I’m done.” 

He gazed down at her, smiling that warm smile that made her feel giddy. 

“What?” she chuckled after his gaze had lingered a fair while. 

“You really are beautiful, you know that?”

_Damn, he really is one hell of a sweet talker._

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, teasing his tongue into her mouth. She returned in kind, resting her hand against his mandible as she kissed him deeply, and he smiled against her lips as he reluctantly pulled away.

“I’ll see you later,” he chirped, making his way towards the door.

Fuck. What the hell did he mean by ‘we’ll work something out’? Did he want there to be something more? This.. it just didn’t feel like a typical one night stand with a random stranger. The things he said.. the date.. just everything. Did it all mean he felt the same way, too? God damn it, if that’s the case.. he deserved to know the truth. She felt insane for even considering telling him. 

_If you’re right about this, then he needs to know. God damn it, you better be fucking right about this.._

“Garrus, wait,” she said hesitantly, rushing after him. “There’s something I have to tell you..” 

He turned to face her, running his talons through a lock of her hair.

“Can it wait until tonight? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about anyway.."

“Uh.. yeah.. okay.” 

“Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait,” he chirped, hastily kissing her lips.

_Easy for you to say, Big Guy._

He ran his thumb across her cheek and said his goodbyes. A minute or so later and she heard the door to her apartment close, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Was she seriously going to do this? She could feel her heart start to race, panic settling in. She fought it down, now really wasn't the time for one of her episodes. She trusted Garrus. She couldn’t explain how or why but, she just did. She knew her secret would be safe with him. Though even thinking about telling him was making her want to freak the fuck out.

 _Bite it down, Eva,_ she thought to herself. _Get a grip. You can do this.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. I hope you enjoyed this one. The next chapter is probably going to take me a little longer to upload but, I'll aim to get it done as soon as I can.
> 
> Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read Unexpected. It's my first time writing a fanfic and I'm really glad to see there's people enjoying it. The story is gonna get pretty damn intense so watch this space :)


	8. It's You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the moment we've been waiting for, folks. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> There may be certain things highlighted in this chapter that aren't really addressed. Fear not, for all shall become clear soon.
> 
> *Concordia = Harmony  
> *Dulcis = Kind of like cremè brulee  
> *Tulipa = A vanilla flower

“Weapons down, we’ve got friendlies,” came the voice of a turian guard nearby.

As they rounded the corner, the guards scattered behind the various barricades all lowered their guns upon hearing the command. Good. He’d like to at least make it five minutes inside these plague infested slums without having to shoot anyone. Besides, the quicker this was done with, the quicker he could see her again. 

_What could she have wanted to tell me so badly? Spirits, why didn’t I just stay?_

“I can’t believe all it took was an autograph for that guard to let us in,” Kaidan said, laughing a little. “Good thing you joined us, Nihlus.” 

“What can I say, Lieutenant?” Nihlus boasted. “Adoring fans are one of the many perks of being the galaxy’s favourite Spectre.” 

“I’m a little concerned that we’re finding your ‘adoring fans' on Omega, Nih. Should I be requesting a new mentor?” 

“Don’t be jealous, Gar-bear. I’m sure -" 

“Hey, we got bodies up ahead,” Vega interjected. 

The Lieutenant jogged over to the armoured corpses further up the street, kneeling beside them to take a closer look. 

“Blue Suns,” he explained as they caught up to him. “Wounds look fresh, can’t have been dead long.” 

“Shepard?” Chellick asked. 

Nihlus crouched down, examining the wounds on both of the bodies. The merc lying face down on the ground had taken a single bullet to the back of the head. He must have gone down first. The other lay slumped against the wall, a crimson river glistening down his ribs from what appeared to be an Omni-Blade wound. Went through the weak part of his armour and straight into his heart. They were probably dead before they even knew what hit them.

_Impressive.._

“Most likely,” Nihlus mused, getting to his feet. “These guys were taken down quick and clean. Definitely her style.” 

As Garrus looked around, he spotted Kaidan in what appeared to be some sort of warehouse nearby. Two deceased turians lay lifeless on the ground but, the Lieutenant’s sole focus was on the terminal in front of him. He looked somewhat.. distressed.

“Alenko,” he called out as he approached him. “Everything okay in here?” 

As he walked past the bodies, he could tell they’d been dead for some time. A few days, at least. 

“Uh.. yeah, I think so,” he mumbled. “It’s just.. well, listen to this..” 

As Kaidan touched the screen, a faint turian voice came through the terminal’s speakers. Garrus tweaked the settings to increase the volume and it caught the attention of the rest of the ground team, all of which had gathered round to listen. Four days worth of audio logs, made by one of the turians that lay dead just a few feet away. Trapped inside by the Blue Suns, recording his torment as he watched his friend die before succumbing to the plague himself.

_Poor bastards._

“Uh.. Rae, these helmet upgrades are definitely gonna work, right?” Chellick asked nervously. “I really don’t wanna end up like that.” 

“I tested them this morning and the results were good. Let me check..” 

Raelus opened up his Omni-Tool, scanning each of the turians amongst the crew. 

“Relax, Chellick,” Garrus chirped.

He left the warehouse with the rest of the crew following suit, heading deeper into the slums.

“You know Rae’s a pro with this kinda stuff. We’ll be fine.” 

“Spirits, someone’s chirpy today,” Raelus teased, still focused on his screen. “You’re excited to meet Shepard too, huh?” 

“No, I just-"

“It’s because Gar-bear's in _loOoOve_ ,” Nihlus cut in, wrapping an arm around Garrus' armoured shoulder. 

“Oh, spirits. Get off me,” he chided, shoving Nihlus away. “You’re such a fledgling sometimes. Of course I’m not in love, I only met her yesterday. But she certainly is.. _something_.”

He hummed happily as he thought of her. The feel of her soft, plump lips when she kissed him for the first time. Spending the entire night making her scream his name as he fucked her on almost every surface in her apartment.. and then waking up to the sound of her singing with that deliciously sexy voice. He’d been so nervous this morning about how she’d react. Convinced she’d have regretted everything and awkwardly encourage him to leave. He’d followed that heavenly voice until he found her in the kitchen. Despite the smell of the breakfast she was making being absolutely divine, it was Ash he’d wanted to devour. 

That long, white hair flowing down her back. Those tight little shorts that made her perfect ass look even better. Then, she turned around and took his breath away. She looked almost angelic. When he saw his teeth marks on her shoulder, the way her nipples were just slightly showing through her white vest, the way her cheeks flushed that rosy hue as she gazed at him.. he just wanted to rip her damn clothes off and take her right there. 

_Spirits, stop thinking about it or this armour is gonna get way too tight._

“Are you sure about that? I can hear you humming from all the way over here,” Raelus teased, closing the display of his Omni-Tool. “Everything looks clear. No abnormalities or anything out of the ordinary. I’ll keep checking as we go, just to be sure.” 

As they rounded the corner into Kokoma Plaza, they all stopped in place as their eyes landed on the scene before them. A dozen Blue Suns mercs, at least, were littered throughout the space, bloody and lifeless on the ground. 

“Did your contact say anything about Shepard having help?” Kaidan asked, kneeling down to examine a body nearby. “This can’t have been the work of one person.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Lieutenant,” Nihlus countered. “You haven’t met her..”

“You really think she could do all of this on her own? Come on, look around,” Kaidan said, gesturing to the bloodbath surrounding them. 

“I told you, amigo, Lola's a _damn_ good soldier. I can’t wait to see her, that woman can fill out a set of armour like nobodies business..” 

_I bet Ash would look so fucking sexy in armour,_ he thought to himself, his mind drifting to wonderful places. _Spirits, get your head in the game, Vakarian. You’re like a horny teenager._

“How is that even relevant, Vega?” Kaidan snickered.

“It’s not,” he shrugged. “True though.” 

“Well, I thought it was an excellent point,” Raelus chirped, leaning closer to the Lieutenant.

“Of course you did, buddy,” Vega chuckled, patting him on his armoured shoulder.

_I’m getting a really bad feeling about those two.._

Before anyone could say any more, they heard several running footsteps coming their way from the opposite side of the room and immediately ducked behind cover.

“We got casualties,” came a batarian voice. 

“What the fuck happened here? Blood Pack?” 

“I dunno,” came a dual-toned voice. “Doesn’t look like it.” 

Garrus peered over the ledge as deftly as he could. He could see the three mercs at the far end of the room, taking in the chaos around them, with a few more lingering by the door.

“Okay,” he whispered through the comm, knowing his team would be able to hear him. “Rae, I want you to send a combat drone over to the door. It’ll trap them in and attack any others that head this way. Alenko, if you can, try to focus on keeping the enemy in the air. They won’t be able to fight back and they’ll be easier to pick off. As soon as Rae's drone is in position, everyone open fire. Clear?” 

“Clear,” they all confirmed. 

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Guns at the ready, they waited for their mark. Within seconds, Raelus had spawned a drone right by the entryway.

“What the?!” 

With that, they sprang into action. Garrus cocked his rifle and aimed at the mercs furthest away. He got one in his crosshairs. 

_Deep breath, squeeze.._

**Blam.**

_One less to worry about._

It was his first time seeing Alenko and Vega in combat, they were extremely impressive. The biotic hurled a Singularity right at the three mercs closest to them, lifting them all into the air. Vega blasted two of them with his shotgun almost instantly, leaving Chellick to take out the third. Garrus got another in his sights, the sound of his rifle filling the space before the headless body dropped to the floor. Before long, only one remained. Nihlus readied his gun but, the merc suddenly shot across the room in a purple flash, crashing into the wall and crumpling in a heap on the ground. Garrus looked over at Kaidan and he simply shrugged in reply. 

_Quite the change from the timid human on the Normandy. Impressive._

“Alright, nice work, team,” he chirped. “Let’s move out. Be on your guard, it’s likely we’ll find more further in. Just proceed with caution, if the target looks female, there’s a chance it could be Shepard. I doubt she’s gonna want to join us if we start shooting at her.” 

As they delved further into the Plaza, they checked each accessible building along the way. No sign of Shepard, only the blatant signs of looters in abundance. Each apartment or store they passed through had been stripped down to the bare bones, ransacked by vultures desperate to find something worth their while. As they reached the final apartment, everyone searched for anything that might hint that Shepard had been there. All except for Nihlus, who was mumbling nonsensical things as he typed away on his Omni-Tool. 

“Saccharos? No..” he mumbled. “Tulipa? No, that’s not it..” 

_Spirits, not this again._

“Uh.. is he okay?” Vega asked, a little weirded out.

“Don’t mind him, he’s been at this all morning.”

“What are you doing, Nihlus?” Chellick asked. 

“Dulcis? Ugh, no!”

“He could smell Ash's scent on me this morning,” Garrus explained, concerned that his crew were starting to doubt Nihlus' sanity. “Apparently it reminds him of something but, he can’t remember what.”

“Like when you have a tune stuck in your head but, you can’t remember what song it’s from,” Kaidan offered, popping out from the kitchen.

“Yes! It’s exactly like that, Lieutenant,” Nihlus huffed. “It’s bugging the hell out of me. Then Garrus had to go and shower so, now I’m struggling to even remember what her scent was like to begin with.”

_Heavenly, Nihlus. Her scent is heavenly._

“I showered because you wouldn’t stop sniffing me. It was weird.” 

“Ash doesn’t sound like a turian name, Garrus,” Raelus teased, his subharmonics trilling mischievously. 

“That’s because it’s not.. she’s human.” 

All heads except Nihlus' immediately snapped in his direction. Even the humans among them. 

_And here we go.._

“Garrus Vakarian spent the night with a _human?!_ Spirits, I never thought I’d see the day,” Raelus yelled, way too excitedly. “See? Didn’t I tell you?”

As Raelus gushed over this mind blowing revelation, they headed out of the apartment with no more insight as to Shepard’s whereabouts. 

“Yes, Rae, I know. You were right, I was wrong.. is that what you wanted to hear?” 

“I’d prefer it in writing but, it’ll do,” he shrugged. “So, come on.. what’s she like?” 

_Spirits, where do I even start?_

“Smart, funny.. _beautiful_ ,” he said with a happy hum.

When they reached the main street, Garrus could see a sign in the distance with directions to the clinic. It had to be close. 

“She's a looker, huh?” Raelus purred, nudging his side. 

“Honestly? She is the hottest woman I have _ever_ seen.”

“Just wait ‘til you see Lola,” Vega teased. “All the guys had a thing for her back at basic.”

“Trust me, Lieutenant. Ash is just.. something else,” he purred. “You’ll see what I mean when you meet her.”

Everyone stopped in their tracks at that. If the turians in the team didn’t have helmets on right now, he was sure three sets of mandibles would have hit the floor. 

“What are you talking about, Garrus?” Nihlus asked.

“I’m.. uh.. gonna ask her to come with us,” he admitted. “I’m taking her to dinner tonight so, I’m gonna talk to her about it then..” 

“What about Shepard?” 

“Well, it might be a little awkward for her with just the three of us, Nih..” 

“Idiot,” Nihlus chided. “You know what I mean.”

“Well, what about it?” he asked, urging the group to keep moving forward. “Ash joining the crew isn’t gonna affect my working relationship with Shepard.”

They carried on until they reached the end of the street, venturing down a winding passageway until their eyes finally landed on a set of doors with a ‘Clinic' sign above them. A group of armed humans and mechs stood guard nearby, one of the humans grunting some form of warning as they passed. 

“This discussion isn’t over, Garrus,” Nihlus said as they approached the doors, severity in his tone. “Once we’re out of here, we’re gonna talk about this.”

_Spirits, what’s his problem?_

Inside the clinic, they were met with a frantic hustle and bustle. Medical teams rushing to and fro, patients dotted around in various states of disrepair. The room held a red hue from the silent alarm on the wall blinking on and off. Something strange was going on. Garrus approached the reception desk, patiently waiting to be seen to. After a couple of minutes, the female receptionist came over, looking understandably stressed amidst the chaos. 

“How can I help you? We’re currently experiencing an emergency situation, we won’t be able to tend to minor injuries at this present time.”

“Uh.. no, that’s okay, we’re not patients. I’m actually looking for Mordin Solus, I was told I could find him here.”

“Yes, this is his clinic,” she said, a little flustered. “Go down to the end of the hall, through the door on the right. Be aware that the Professor is incredibly busy. It’s unlikely he’ll have time to stop and chat.” 

“I’ll do what I can to take up as little of his time as possible,” he said sincerely. “Thank you.” 

Following the receptionists directions, they found themselves outside the doorway of the makeshift Med Bay. A sickly batarian lay on a hospital bed, groaning and clutching at his stomach as he was tended to by the medical staff surrounding him.

“Professor Solus?” Garrus asked, stepping into the room. 

“Yes?” the salarian answered, typing away into some form of monitor. “Very busy. Infected patient, requires immediate treatment. No time to talk.” 

“I understand, Professor. I’m simply looking for information.” 

“Information not my field,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “Perhaps try contacting Shadow Broker.”

The quirky old salarian hadn’t so much as looked his way once. He seemed a little.. odd. 

“No, not like that,” he said, laughing a little. “I’m looking for someone. A friend of hers told me she would be here today and that you’re the one to talk to about where I can find her.” 

He immediately stopped at that, finally meeting Garrus' eye. He quickly jabbered some medical instructions to his assistants before ushering Garrus and the rest of his crew to the dimly lit storage room on the opposite side of the hall. He checked the coast was clear before shutting the door and approaching the group.

“Name?” 

“Garrus Vakarian,” he said by way of introduction. “Good to meet you, Professor.”

“No. Person you’re looking for.” 

Well, that was awkward. Although apparently the rest of the crew found it very amusing, judging by the snickers coming from behind him.

“Oh,” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “..Shepard.” 

“Friend you mentioned. Name?” 

“I, uh.. don’t actually know,” he admitted. “But, I have these messages..”

He opened up his Omni-Tool, searching for the encrypted messenger program that Cherry Bomb had used. Once he’d found it, the Professor scanned through the message thread in it’s entirety. 

“Apologies,” he said finally, pacing back and forth. “Had to be certain. Care about Shepard, concerned for her safety. Was here, left already. Blood Pack sabotaged air system, gone to take care of problem and release cure.”

“Blood Pack?” Nihlus asked. “That’s not good..”

“Indeed,” the salarian confirmed with a single nod. “Air-control facility in their territory. Grown stronger since plague. Blue Suns mainly turian and batarian. Numbers dwindling. Easy target. Vorcha immunity.. problematic.” 

“That’s one word for it,” Garrus huffed, shaking his head. “Alright, well, we’ve gotta go and help her. How do we get there?” 

“Head out of clinic into Gozu District, will be clear signage for facility. Recommend caution. Plague fatal to turians. Until cure is released.. dangerous.” 

“It’s okay, Professor,” Raelus offered. “I made some upgrades to the filtration systems in our helmets. So far, they’ve done the trick.” 

“Indeed?”

Raelus stepped forward and opened up his Omni-Tool, showing Mordin the data from the scans he’d carried out along the way.

“Mm, oxygen levels normal. There’s.. no, only signature from contact with environment,” the old salarian mumbled to himself as he read through the data. “Vitals as expected given situation. Could be..? No, number within tolerance limit..”

Garrus quietly smiled to himself, he kinda liked Mordin. His machine gun sentences and mad scientist persona. Although, the scars on his face and missing horn hinted that there may be more to this salarian than meets the eye.

“Interesting,” Mordin pondered. “Spectre only received intel yesterday. To design and install within that time.. impressive.”

“Rae's one of the best,” Garrus insisted. “We appreciate the help, Professor, but we should make a move. If Shepard is on her own out there, she could well be injured if she’s not dead already.” 

“Unlikely. Shepard's combat ability impressive. Determination equally as impressive. Enemies.. don’t last long. Wouldn’t underestimate her if I were you.” 

“Told you,” Nihlus teased. 

“Alright, alright, I hear you,” he huffed. “Let’s move out, team. We need to get out there and find Shepard as soon as possible.” 

As they left the room and headed back towards the waiting area, Garrus lingered behind, hovering in the doorway.

“Professor,” he began, “You read the messages so, you know why I’m here.. do you think she’ll join us?”

The salarian inhaled a deep breath as he pondered the thought, his eyelids blinking almost out of sync. 

“Hard to say. Left for a reason, yes? But, message correct.. great potential in Shepard. Perfect for your project, can understand why Alliance chose her.”

He stepped closer, his posture bristling a little.

“ _Must_ be prepared to keep her safe,” he ordered, flailing an accusing finger in Garrus' general direction. “If not, mustn’t ask her to join. Omega flawed but, safe. For now. Living here under new name. Simple but, effective.” 

“My crew look out for each other, Professor,” he assured him. “She’ll be safe with us. If she’s as skilled as everyone says, hiding on Omega just seems like a waste of her talents. She could do a lot of good with us.”

“Agreed,” Mordin said, nodding in conformation. 

With that, he bid the Professor farewell and joined the rest of his team, all of them hovering by the reception desk as they waited. He signalled for them to follow him out, exiting the clinic onto yet another dark and eerie alleyway.

“That dude was crazy as hell,” Vega chuckled.

“I thought he was funny,” Chellick chirped. “Reminds me of my Uncle Nilkus.” 

“He was great,” Raelus chuckled. “The way he shut Garrus down like that? Priceless..”

“Yes, yes. The wacky Professor made Garrus look like an idiot and it was very amusing,” Nihlus said in haste, waving a hand dismissively. “Are you seriously gonna ask this girl to join us, Garrus? Don’t you think there are more pressing matters to think about than your whirlwind romance?”

“Spirits, Nihlus,” Garrus chided. “Do you really think I’m so naive? I’m not doing this so we can fly off into the sunset together. She can fight. She knows how to handle a gun. She’s a skilled programmer _and_ mechanic. I’m asking her because I think she has what it takes to be part of our crew.”

“Well, sounds like her and Lola would really hit it off, anyway.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, she was loco for that kinda stuff, man,” Vega explained. “If she hadn’t been enlisted into the N7 program, she definitely would have been an Engineer or something.” 

“Oh, really?” Raelus purred, trilling mischievously. “Looks like it’s my time to shine then, huh? Sorry, fellas.” 

As he spoke, he strutted on ahead with a skip in his step, puffing out his chest in his bravado. Once he reached the entryway to the next area, he stopped on the spot.

“Holy shit,” he gasped. “Guys, you gotta see this..”

Garrus picked up the pace with everyone following close behind. When he caught up to Raelus, he followed his line of sight and suddenly understood his friend’s reaction. 

“Spirits..” 

Bloodied and broken bodies littered the entire boulevard. Blue Suns.. Blood Pack.. it looked like a gory scene from a movie. A turf war gone wrong, with no survivors left to lay their claim on the land. Spirits, if Shepard got caught in this.. it was unlikely she’d have made it out.

“Spread out and check the bodies,” he ordered. “Hopefully we won’t get a positive ID on our target. Be on your guard, there may be more incoming.”

Everyone dispersed on his command, searching to the farthest corners of the area. As he approached the centre of the main space, he cringed at the sound of a squelch beneath his foot, tentatively lifting it to see a wrinkled, leathery hand on the ground that would have been attached to a vorcha not so long ago.

“ _Gross_ ,” he cringed, shaking his foot to try and get the organic mulch off his boot.

Now that he thought about it, there were various pieces of shrapnel lying around that had to be from explosive canisters, judging by the scorch marks across the metal. Fantastic, as if this wasn’t going to be hard enough. At least some chunks were easy to identify. An unmistakably krogan looking arm laying on the steps. A leg adorning Blue Suns armour hanging on the ledge of a broken window. Spirits, what the _hell_ happened here?

After a while, his comm sounded off with a chorus of negative results. They regrouped by the next set of stairs as they waited for Nihlus to join them. All a little relieved, if not a little surprised. 

“This is crazy,” Alenko gasped. “There’s no way Shepard could have made it out of here by herself in one piece. I literally just tripped over a krogan’s _head_ in that office back there..”

“But.. all that stuff you told us..” Chellick said.

“Well, it’s like Garrus said.. it’s all hearsay, right? Stories. Who knows if they’re true.” 

“They are,” Nihlus countered, finally having finished his search. “They’re not just stories. They're true. Vega was right before.. the merc base, it was on Korlus. Blue Suns. And it was just one other soldier she was with; me. Spirits, their leader, Jedore? They should have _thanked_ Shepard for killing her. Damned woman just didn’t know when to shut the fuck up. I still wanna shoot every speaker I see, even now.."

_Wait, what?_

“You don’t think you could have mentioned this earlier?” 

“I wanted you to see for yourself, Garrus. You’ve been so dismissive, doubting Shepard from the beginning. I shouldn’t have to tell you how good she is for you to believe it. I wanted you to see her in action so you could realise _exactly_ who you’re dealing with here.” 

He paused for a moment before walking over to Kaidan.

“Lieutenant, no one is saying that Shepard came in here and killed all of these guys like a one woman army. But, she’s smart. She’s an Infiltrator _and_ an N7. I’d say she made the best of the situation. Probably cloaked herself and snuck around the fighting, picking off any stragglers that got in her way.”

“I guess that makes sense,” he mumbled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” 

“I just have a lot of respect for Shepard. For what she can do and what she’s endured. You have no idea what you’re asking of her coming back to this life, Garrus.”

“Of course I don’t, Nih,” he growled. “How the hell am I supposed to know, when no one will tell me a damn thing?” 

Nihlus stormed towards him, a growl emanating from his chest. 

“It’s not my place to tell you her shit, Garrus. Only she can make that call. You just better make sure that _if_ she agrees to come with us, your _only_ priority is your partnership with her in this project. Not your shiny new toy that you wanna bring along for the ride.”

He stalked closer until Nihlus’ helmet was but an inch from his own.

“Watch your mouth, Nih,” he snarled. “Don’t bring her into this.”

“I didn’t, Garrus. _You_ did. Just try to remember why we came here in the first place.”

“Uh.. guys..” came Chellick’s timid voice. “We’ve got company..”

All eyes immediately snapped to the top of the long stairway as more Blood Pack appeared on the upper level.

“ **YOU DIE NOW!** ” came a raspy, screeching voice. 

Good. That little altercation had given him a sudden desire to kill something. Everyone dashed behind the walls for cover, popping out now and again to fire off a shot. Garrus focused his fire on the vorcha at the top of the stairs, smirking when he dropped one at just the right angle, the body sliding down the steps and wiping out another further down.

“We need to take down that pyro,” he ordered. “We're on lower ground, if that flamethrower gets close enough, we’re screwed.”

“I’m on it,” Kaidan yelled, conjuring a barrier around himself.

He ran across the open space, hurling a cryo blast right at the pyro, completely encasing it in ice. Raelus immediately shot out, firing a shotgun blast right at it with Vega following suit. The ice shattered upon impact, leaving frozen vorcha chunks tumbling down the stairs. 

“Alright, nice work, guys.”

“Simple physics,” Raelus chirped. 

Despite this being their first mission all together, they fought like a well oiled machine. Eventually, they’d rid themselves of the remaining vorcha vermin in between dodging bullets, leaving just the one krogan to go. He charged down the stairs straight for them, roaring ferociously. Garrus looked over at Nihlus who nodded in reply, already knowing his plan. They both popped out, aiming their fire at the krogan's feet. The blasts struck home, making him lose his footing and practically somersault down the rest of the way, hurtling to the ground at their feet. Everyone immediately opened fire, using their powers, biotics, guns.. everything they had to make sure he had no chance of regenerating. Once they were certain he was well and truly toast, they carried on up the stairs, stepping over the bodies as they went. 

The upper level lead them out into a separate alleyway with a sign directing them to the facility. He and Nihlus walked side by side, not saying a word. They were both as stubborn as each other, that was the problem. Whilst he understood where Nihlus was coming from, he wasn’t going to let his feelings for Ash interfere with the project. He’d worked too damn hard for too damn long to allow that. That didn’t change the fact that she genuinely would be an asset to the Normandy crew. Also, she’d be safe with him. Not having to hide herself or look over her shoulder whenever she left the house. He wanted that for her, more than anything.

“Are they gonna be okay?” Kaidan asked Chellick, hanging back with the rest of the team.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine,” Raelus assured him. “They always do this, they’re like brothers.”

“Yeah. They may fight but, when it comes down to it, they’ve always got each others back,” Chellick explained. 

As they followed the winding paths and alleys, they eventually found themselves in a _huge_ open space. The area had multiple levels with them situated on the uppermost floor. Much the same as before, there were several vorcha corpses dotted throughout the area, some hanging off balcony ledges, others slumped against the walls on the ground level. As they approached the edge of the balcony to get a better look, they could see the entrance to the Environmental Control facility. That’s it, if she wasn’t amidst the chaos here, then Shepard _had_ to be in there. 

“Alright, team,” he ordered. “You know the drill; Chellick, Alenko, Raelus.. you guys get to the ground floor and scout the perimeter. Vega and Nihlus can take the floor below us. I’ll search this floor, it’ll be the perfect spot to get a clear shot if we run into more Blood Pack.” 

With orders confirmed and understood, they set about their tasks with haste. Garrus took one last glance across the space as he ventured further down the walkway until he reached the abandoned security office. It looked as though it had been left untouched for some time. Various chairs and desks blanketed with dust. Open lockers and filing cabinets that hadn’t been emptied after the staff had presumably fled in haste. _Hopefully_. The only thing working was the security terminal on the desk at the far end of the room, the screen still active as though it had been used recently. Maybe it held some CCTV footage that could at least prove that Shepard had definitely been here. Once he’d hacked his way into the software, he began searching through the copious amount of files to find what he was looking for.

“Is that? When was this..” he mumbled as he watched a recording. “Oh, no. This is a live feed, pretty sure that’s just Rae..”

_Spirits, I’m gonna be here all damn day at this rate._

“If you’re here to stop the cure, I’m afraid you’re too late,” came a familiar voice from behind him, swiftly followed by the sound of a rifle being cocked.

That voice. That unmistakable sultry smokiness, if not a little muffled. He stood up straight, slowly turning on the spot until he came face to face with the barrel of her gun. 

_Is.. that.. a Black Widow?_

Although the hood and mask obscured her features, that Shadow armour clung to each deliciously familiar contour of her body. It had to be her.

“Ash?” 

He watched her heartrate on his visor shoot up instantly, and she slowly lowered her rifle upon hearing her name.

_What on Palaven is she doing here?_

“..Garrus? Is that you?”

As soon as he nodded in reply, she whipped off her hood and mask, unveiling the snowy hair and gorgeous features he’d had stuck in his mind all day. He was right, she looked incredibly fucking sexy in armour. 

“Garrus, what the hell are you doing?!” she asked, storming towards him. “You’re turian, you shouldn’t be here!”

“Me?” he snapped. “What are _you_ doing here? Are you crazy? This place is swarming with Blood Pack!” 

“Not anymore it isn’t,” she said triumphantly, flashing that devilish grin.

"What? Spirits, Ash,” he huffed. “I don’t understand.. wait..”

_“Spirits, Garrus, your new little friend smells amazing. Her scent reminds me of something.. what is it?”_

_“How’d a girl like you learn to hold her own like that, anyway?” .. “Oh. Y'know.. around.”_

_“Sounds like her and Lola would really hit it off, she was loco for that kinda thing.”_

_“Admiral Anderson thinks she might have gone there so she could go into hiding..”_

_“One thing you can do, is keep this to yourself. I don’t usually let people see me like this..”_

_“Living here under new name. Simple but, effective.”_

_“Garrus, wait.. there’s something I have to tell you..”_

_Oh, spirits.._

“..Shepard?” he asked quietly. “It’s you.. isn’t it?”

Her arms fell to her sides, the rifle dropping to the ground beside her as she unconsciously released her grip on it. She stumbled backwards and her heartrate sky-rocketed to the point where the digits were flashing red on his visor.

“..what did you just say?” 

Of course it was her. How could he have been so fucking blind? All the signs were there and he’d been too damn ignorant to see them. 

_Stupid, **stupid** turian._

“You didn’t come here to get parts for your ship.. did you?” she said quietly, snapping him back to reality. “You’re here for.. me.”

“..yeah,” he sighed, hanging his head.

As soon as he’d confirmed her suspicions, her chest began to heave with her panicked breaths and his visor flashed desperate warning alarms. Suddenly, a purple aura surrounded her, making her look as if she were engulfed in a lavender flame. 

_Wait, she’s a biotic?_

“What do you want?” she said anxiously. “Did he send you?!”

“..who? Admiral Anderson?” 

“Anderson?!” 

The aura disappeared and her legs gave out as she sank to the floor, slumping back against the desk as she desperately gasped for air. Spirits, she was terrified. If she carried on like this, her heart was going to give out. Suddenly, the situation didn’t matter anymore. He whipped off his helmet without a care of the consequences and crouched down beside her.

“Hey! Look at me,” he said hurriedly in his worry. “Eva, look at me..” 

She did.. and his heart sank at the sight of the tears building in those crystal blue eyes. 

“I **promise** I am _not_ here to harm you, okay?” he assured her, placing a gloved hand on her own. “Just _breathe_.” 

A biotic glow slowly extended out of her, tingling delicately across his plates as it formed an orb around them.

“What are you doing?”

“P - plague..” was all she could say between her gasping breaths.

She was.. protecting him. 

He startled when his comm crackled, having completely forgotten about anything other than what was happening in this moment.

“All clear here, boss,” came Vega's voice in his ear. “She’s gotta be inside.”

“No sign of her here, either,” Raelus confirmed.

He couldn’t leave her like this, and the last thing she needed right now was a crowd of idolising strangers gawping at her.

“I need everyone to fall back to the Normandy,” he said. 

Her eyes watched him questioningly but, at least she seemed to have calmed a little. 

“ _Now?!_ What about Shepard?” Raelus asked.

“Just do it, alright? That’s an order. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” 

“But -" came Kaidan's voice.

“You heard him,” Nihlus ordered. “Back to the ship, let’s go.” 

“Spirits, Garrus,” Raelus chided.

The comm beeped in his ear as it switched to his and Nihlus' private channel.

“Just remember what I said, Garrus.. tell her I said hi.”

“I will. Thanks, Nih,” he replied, signing off.

“I'm sorry about that,” he said sincerely, returning to his present company. “Are you okay?”

Her heartrate was still way too high but, she seemed more like herself again. Or, did she? Did he even know what that was? Spirits, this was.. not at all how he was expecting this to go.

_Of course it isn’t, you stupid turian. You came to Omega on a mission to find your XO, met the girl of your dreams along the way, and then they turned out to be the same damn person. How could you **possibly** have expected that? _

“What do you want from me, Garrus? You specifically came here to find me.. why?” 

Spirits, if he stayed crouching like this for much longer his legs were gonna give way. He moved to sit beside her and huffed out a breath. Where was he even supposed to start? He didn’t want to risk telling her too much and upsetting her again or scaring her off. The best thing to do, was to just give her the answers to the questions she asks and let her take the reigns here.

“It’s a long story..” 

“I’ve got time. Although, I’ve got a hot date tonight so, try to bear that in mind..” 

They both laughed a little. This whole situation.. it was just.. crazy. But, the fact that she could still joke around with him, it gave him hope.

“Sounds like a lucky guy,” he teased.

She looked at him and smiled. He couldn’t quite get his head around any of this yet but, that smile.. spirits, he was glad to see it again. 

“Okay.. where do I start?” 

“The beginning is preferable,” she teased.

“They told me you were smart,” he joked. “Okay, so.. it all started with the Citadel Council. They were desperate for an official treaty of peace between your kind and mine. A symbol of us letting go of past grudges and putting the war behind us for good. They came up with an idea, and that idea became ‘Project Concordia'. Primarch Fedorian, along with Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson, are the ones in charge of the project..”

“The Primarch.. and the Council? Fucking hell. So, what.. you’re..?”

“..a Spectre,” he finished. “It’s still fairly new, but.. yeah.” 

“Definitely not an engineer or a mechanic then,” she snorted. 

“Uhh.. no. Not quite,” he chuckled. “My ship I told you about? When I said it was new, I meant brand new. As in.. ‘first of it’s kind’ new..” 

He opened up his Omni-Tool, typing away until he found the blueprints.

“The PCV Normandy,” he explained, showing her the screen. “Commissioned by the Council, then designed and built by both of our races, combining our ideas and working together side by side..”

“That’s.. amazing,” she said sincerely, her gaze fixed on the screen. “This ship, it’s.. incredible. Judging by the design.. it’s gotta be a stealth, scouting type frigate, right?” 

“Exactly,” he beamed. “I can forward the specs on to you if you’d like to have a proper look.” 

“Sure, but.. what does any of this have to do with me?”

“Well, the best soldiers from the Alliance and the turian military were selected to join the crew. I’m the Commanding Officer and, given the nature of the project, it made sense to have a human as my Executive Officer. You were requested specifically, Shepard. From my side _and_ yours. Although, XO would simply be a title. In reality, you’d be working as my partner.” 

“Well scratch my scales and call me a dragon..” she sighed, somewhat shocked.

He looked over at her in question and she laughed a little.

“Sorry.. that’s just a more polite way of saying ‘this is fucking insane’.”

“Tell me about it,” he chuckled.

“So, this project.. this ship.. what exactly do you do?” 

“Well,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s a good question.. our maiden voyage was coming here to find you. But, it’ll be pretty similar to how any other Spectre would operate. The only difference is that we answer first and foremost to the Primarch, Hackett and Anderson. Though the Council can override them at any time should they have a mission of higher priority.” 

“Okay..” she said vaguely, leaning her head back against the desk. She huffed out a breath, taking everything in. “Oh man.. I just.. I don’t know if I’m ready for what’s waiting for me out there, Blue.” 

Hearing her call him that.. spirits, this was all so damn confusing. Had the time he’d spent with her simply been with her Ash persona.. or with the real her? How the hell would he even go about asking that? He’d already sprung so much on her, now wasn’t the time to add to it. 

“Look, Shepard.. I don’t know why you came here but, whatever it is that’s waiting for you.. I can help you.” 

“I dunno, Big Guy,” she sighed. “I'm gonna need some time to think about it. Is that okay?” 

“Of course,” he said sincerely. “Take all the time you need.”

As they sat there, he looked around at the transparent purple orb still shimmering around them. He still couldn’t quite understand how he hadn’t been able to tell she was a biotic. Usually he could smell one a mile off. On the ship, he can tell when Alenko's nearby before he even sees him just from the stench of eezo radiating off him. Perhaps it was just yet another quirk to this peculiar little human. 

“You mentioned earlier that it was too late to stop the cure so, why the barrier?”

“Oh.. well, Mordin said it could take a few hours for the cure to fully wipe the plague out of the atmosphere, so..”

“Well.. I appreciate it, thank you,” he chirped, nudging her side. “So, I’m pretty sure I already know the answer but.. was this what you were trying to tell me?” 

She laughed a little, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did.” 

“Thanks, Garrus,” she said, smiling softly. “What about you? Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ha, yeah, sort of. Actually, I was going to, uh..” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “..ask you to come with me.”

“You were?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. I just figured I could.. you know.. keep you safe,” he said awkwardly, staring up at the ceiling to avoid her gaze. “No more disguises or looking over your shoulder.”

Suddenly, he felt her scooch closer to him. Her little hand wormed its way through the gap between his arm and his side as she rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Ever the gentleman, huh, Big Guy?” she said softly, holding his hand. 

Considering the mismatch of fingers and the incredible size difference, this actually worked surprisingly well. In fact, it felt just.. perfect. 

“Hmm.. maybe,” he rumbled, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “You still can’t tell anyone though.”

“No promises,” she chuckled. “So.. was this Anderson’s plan all along? Send in the handsome turian to entice me into joining the project?” 

“Actually, he thought it would be the Normandy that would convince you but, I much prefer your theory,” he purred. “Why? Is it working?”

“Hmm.. maybe,” she teased, pausing for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. “God.. we really should have just stayed in that damn shower, huh, Blue?” 

Spirits, how different things would be now if they had. For better or worse, he couldn’t say. This would all still have been waiting for them just around the corner in some form or other. He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tight.. potentially for the last time. He pushed the thought out of his mind, not ready to deal with it just yet.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “We should have.” 

They stayed like that for long moments, not needing to say anything but reluctant to bring an end to what could well be their last embrace. He cherished every moment, nuzzling against her silky white locks. It was strange how familiar the feeling had become in such a short amount of time, the way the soft threads caressed across his mandible was incredibly soothing. Just as he could feel himself getting lost in the sensation, he heard her quietly giggling to herself.

“What?” he chuckled.

“You’re purring again.” 

“No I wasn’t..” 

_..was I?_

“Don’t worry, Big Guy,” she teased. “I think it’s cute.”

He lifted his head and she turned to face him, a smirking grin spread across her face.

“Eva, turians are apex-predators.. we are not _‘cute'_.”

“You are when you’re purring,” she shrugged, resting her head back on his shoulder. 

“Spirits,” he grumbled mockingly. “Hey.. what do you mean ‘again’?”

She let out another little chuckle and he couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

_Spirits, if she decides not to come with us, I think I may just end up staying here.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's one I've been really looking forward to writing. 
> 
> What's gonna happen now? Will she join? Will he stay? I'll crack on with the next chapter as soon as possible so you can find out :)


	9. One Marine Survived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is basically a bit of filler chapter with some insight into backstory so, it's a little slower in pace. Notes at the bottom of the page explain more 🙂

“What are you doing up here, Gar-bear?” Nihlus asked, strutting into his cabin. “I thought you were gonna come and debrief the ground team when you got back.”

He really should have done but, all he'd wanted upon his return was a shower and a little time to collect his thoughts. Besides, he didn’t even have anything definitive to tell them yet. For now, it was simply a matter of playing the waiting game. It’d only been an hour or so since he got back and it was already dragging. Spirits, this was going to be a long fucking night.

“Sorry, Nih. I'll check in with everyone once I actually know what’s going on.”

Nihlus jogged down the steps, taking a seat beside him on the sofa.

“You found her though, right?”

_Boy, did I ever. Spirits, what a shit show._

“Uh.. yeah,” he huffed. “I did.”

“I knew it! So, what do you think? She’s amazing, right?” 

_Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it.._

“Yeah, she’s uh.. pretty damn impressive.”

“See, what did I tell you?” Nihlus beamed. “Well, how did it go? Is she gonna join us?”

“I don’t know, Nih,” he sighed, running his hand down the length of his fringe. “She asked me to give her until morning to decide. And if she does join us, it’s on the condition that Mordin does, too.” 

“The wacky Professor?” he asked, chirruping in amusement. “What for?”

“I have no idea. But, Shepard said he’s former STG and a highly skilled scientist. There’s an empty Tech Lab gathering dust downstairs and we could always use another medic so, I didn’t see the harm in agreeing," he shrugged.

“Hell, whatever it takes to get her to join us, I’m all for it.” 

“That’s what I figured.”

Nihlus tilted his head in a hawk-like motion, furrowing his brow plates. 

“What’s going on with you?” 

He slumped back against the couch, his head lulling back over the edge as he huffed out an exhausted breath. He felt so drained. Mentally, emotionally, physically. So much had happened in such a short space of time, he was still trying to catch up. 

“Well..” he began. “When I first found Shepard, she completely freaked out. Spirits, you should have seen her, Nih. She was terrified..”

He couldn’t get the image out of his head. Her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe, her hands trembling like an addict gone cold turkey, the tears in her eyes that were just too damn reluctant to fall. Spirits, it hurt to think about it. 

“I just.. I have **so** many questions but, I didn’t wanna risk asking her and upsetting her even more. I gave her my word that we’d help her but, I’m not sure if my word is gonna be enough..”

Nihlus just sat there quietly, humming in consideration as he listened intently to everything Garrus had to say. 

“Alright,” he said finally, getting to his feet. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna go get us a couple of beers, and while I’m gone, pick the _one_ question you most want the answer to. If I can, I'll answer it. Make it count because, that’s all I’m gonna give you.” 

With that, he took off up the stairs and out the door, leaving Garrus alone to ponder his words. One question. Spirits. He had fucking thousands. Where is she from? How old is she? Did she and Nihlus have a past? Why can’t he smell that she’s a biotic? Why is her hair so white? Will he ever see her again?

It didn’t take long for Nihlus to stride back in, a couple of bottles in each hand. As he made his way down the steps, he looked around the cabin, shaking his head as he chuckled to himself.

“Still can’t believe you got a place like this right off the bat. Makes my room look like a locker.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed, his eyes drifting over the luxuries spread throughout the space. “It all seems a little unnecessary but, it sure beats my old quarters on the Invictus.” 

“Perks of the job, my friend,” he chirped, handing over a beer as he took to his seat. “So.. have you made your decision?”

“Yeah," he nodded. "I think so.” 

“Well, ask away..”

Garrus took a big glug of his beer and popped it back on the table, taking a moment to decide which of the hundreds of questions spinning through his mind would take centre stage. 

“Alright,” he said finally. “I’ll go for the obvious choice. Why did she leave?” 

“Damn, I was kinda hoping you weren’t gonna ask me that one..” Nihlus mumbled, laughing awkwardly as he scratched his neck.

Spirits, of course he was.

“Fine,” he huffed. “Do you want me to ask something else?”

The room went quiet, only the sound of Nihlus' humming alleviating the silence.

“No,” he said finally. “What you said earlier today, you were right. I thought keeping quiet about this was for the best but, I think you need to understand exactly what it is we’re asking of her. This is strictly confidential, though. Alright? Not a word to anyone.”

He simply nodded in reply, patiently waiting for the clarity he’d been looking for since they first left the Citadel. Nihlus just stared into the general space, his eyes searching as if the words he needed were somewhere ahead of him. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and took a swig of his beer. 

“Do you remember hearing about the Akuze incident on galactic news? Would have been a couple of years ago now.” 

“Wasn’t that the Alliance squad that got attacked by thresher maws?” 

“Yeah,” Nihlus sighed. “That’s the one. They were sent in to investigate when the pioneer team for the settlement stopped making contact. Most of them had never even seen a maw before, they had no idea that they’d set up camp right in the middle of a nest.” 

“Spirits,” he rumbled. “I remember it now, it was all over the news for weeks. Their entire unit wiped out with no survivors. Poor bastards.”

“That.. isn’t entirely true. One marine survived.”

 _Oh, spirits. Please don’t be.._

“..Shepard?”

Nihlus huffed out a breath, leaning back against the couch. 

“Yeah," he sighed. "You know from personal experience how deadlocked her personal files and military records are. So, as far as the media were aware, fifty Alliance marines went to Akuze, and none made it out.”

Damn it. Wherever this story was headed, it wasn’t going to be good.

“..what happened?”

“They were ambushed in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep. It was.. _brutal_. Shepard was trying to move an injured squad mate to safety when one of the bastards shot out of the ground and grabbed her. She managed to wrangle her way out somehow but, she couldn’t get away fast enough and took a direct hit of maw acid all over her back and legs. After that, she could barely move.. and watched as her entire unit got slaughtered right in front of her.”

Nihlus paused for a moment, shaking his head before he chugged back his beer.

“A fractured hip, several broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, fourth degree acid burns and a broken leg.. and she still survived. Dragged herself along the damn ground until she eventually reached the landing zone. Can you imagine what that must have been like? When they told me what happened, I went straight to Huerta hospital to see her. Spirits, it was..” 

Garrus didn’t need to picture it. Nor did he want to. Spirits, the thought of seeing her like that.. he couldn’t imagine how Nihlus must have felt. How she even survived all of that.. Mordin was right, her determination was absolute. As he looked over at Nihlus, he could tell he was physically pained by the memory, wincing a little with his brow plates furrowed. 

“..it was so hard to look at her, Garrus. I’m telling you, that thing beat the living crap out of her,” he said solemnly. “She was in the hospital for a long time. That’s when it all started.. the paranoia, the panic attacks. The doctors tried to help but, she was only getting worse. The last time I went to visit, I got there and she was just.. gone. Snuck out in the middle of the night without anyone realising. Obviously I was worried so, I immediately contacted Admiral Hackett but, by then it was too late. She’d already handed in her dog tags and left the Citadel.. I never saw her again."

Hearing all of this, it made so much sense. Why Eva reacted the way she did at the mention of Anderson’s name. It'd awakened a memory that she’d fled to the opposite end of the galaxy to forget, throwing her into an extreme anxiety attack. Spirits, he was so damn mad with himself. 

“That mission on Korlus?” Nihlus continued. “That was just before she got sent to Akuze. I took a bullet to the shoulder and it put me out of action. If I’d have just been more careful, I could have been there, Garrus. If I had, then maybe she wouldn’t have..” 

And there it was. The explanation as to why Nihlus reacted the way he did when it came to Shepard.. he blamed himself for what happened to her. 

“You can’t think like that, Nih. You had no way of knowing what was gonna happen.”

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed. “But.. _that_ is why she left. So, hopefully you can see why I acted the way I did today. Asking Shepard to join the crew.. we’re basically asking her to finally face everything she’s been running from for the past two years.” 

Spirits, he wished he’d have known about this sooner, he wouldn’t have been so damn casual about everything. Keeping her safe from outside harm was easy, keeping her safe from her own mind was something different entirely. But, for her, he’d do it in a fucking heartbeat. Though, now that he knew the truth, he felt like the likelihood of her joining him was dwindling. 

“I do,” he said sincerely. “Sorry, Nih. Whenever you’ve spoken out for her, I just pegged it down to past feelings or something like that. I understand how serious this is. What it means if she joins us. I promised I’d do everything I could to help her and I meant it.” 

“Past feelings? Spirits, Garrus,” Nihlus droned, laughing a little. “Don’t get me wrong, I _definitely_ wouldn’t say no. I mean.. you’ve seen her. Just.. _wow_..”

_No argument there.._

“..but, no. It’s like I told you.. we were just friends, nothing more. And you won’t have to help her alone, Garrus. We’ll all be here. We’ll just have to be patient with her as she adjusts.”

“.. _if_ she decides to join us.”

“Have a little faith, Gar-bear,” Nihlus insisted, nudging Garrus' side as he got to his feet. “Despite everything, Shepard’s a fighter. In profession and in spirit. For all we know, she could be packing right now.” 

“I hope so, Nih,” he sighed. “She deserves so much better than Omega.”

“She certainly does. Look, some of the guys are having a poker night in the lounge, we’re gonna crack open the whiskey Rae bought yesterday.. you in?” 

He came to stand beside Nihlus, humming a little as he considered it. In all honesty, he just wanted to be alone right now.

“Nah, I probably shouldn’t. I wanna keep a clear head until I know what’s going on.”

“A sensible approach my young apprentice,” he teased. “So, you good now?”

“Yeah, Nih. I’m good. Thanks,” he said, hoping it sounded more convincing than it felt. 

Nihlus placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, chirping his farewells as he set off to leave.

“Hey, I almost forgot,” he called out, stopping in the threshold of the doorway. “What happened to your dinner date?” 

“Oh. Uh.. something came up,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “She had to cancel.”

“Damn, that sucks. Sorry, Garrus. What about asking her to join us?” 

He leaned against the cool glass of the fish tank, looking down at his feet. How he wished he’d never admitted his plans to invite her or even mentioned her to begin with. Would have saved him trying to awkwardly dodge these questions. What the hell was he supposed to say? 

_'Well, it's funny you should ask, Nih, because Ash actually turned out to be Shepard all along. So, in a way, I already **have** asked her. I know.. crazy, right?'_

_Spirits, maybe I do need a drink._

“Shepard’s the only priority here,” was all he could think to say.

“Oh,” Nihlus mumbled, a little awkward and surprised. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m proud of you for making that call. I do think it’s for the best but, I know it can’t have been easy. Will you see her again before we go?” 

_Spirits, I hope so.._

“Only time will tell..” he sighed. “Try not to bet too many credits tonight, Nih. Your poker face is terrible.” 

“Well, luckily for me, Donnelly's is much worse,” Nihlus chuckled. “Give me a shout as soon as there’s word on Shepard.” 

The doors closed behind him as he left, leaving Garrus alone once more. He looked around aimlessly, trying to work out what the fuck to do now. It was hard to shake the twitchy, restless feeling. That itch in his talons. He needed to do something, keep himself busy. With that, he grabbed the unopened beer off the table and set to work.

Before long, his Mantis had been taken apart, cleaned and reassembled. Then the armour, the royal blue plating practically sparkling in the light once he was done. Good as new. He trimmed his talons, buffed his plates. Spirits, if he wasn’t specifically waiting for something, he was sure these tasks would have taken up _way_ more time. 

Eventually, he found himself sat at his desk, reading through the ridiculous amount of emails he hadn’t gotten round to yet. Some spam ads to skip through, messages of congratulations for his recent promotion, minor mission requests. Spirits, why did Yeoman Chambers insist on forwarding every single email? Surely one of her responsibilities was to save him having to wade through all this crap. 

As he carried on scrolling through, he reached the email Admiral Hackett had sent with Eva's dossier, reading through it again as Nihlus' words replayed through his mind. His talons drummed against the desk in his restless state, staring through the terminal’s display. After a while, he cracked, and against his better judgment.. he did an extranet search on Akuze. Desperate to learn what happened, to try and understand what she went through. It didn’t take long for him to regret the decision. The case reports were horrific. The pictures taken at the scene.. they were much worse. 

The camp looked like a bomb site. Great, gaping mounds were spread across the area from where the maws had burrowed out repeatedly, the tents and bunks all laying in tatters. Medical staff with stretchers were removing bodies, or the parts that they could find, from the scene. One of the soldiers laying on the ground had been so thoroughly burned by maw acid that they were barely more than a skeleton. Spirits, thinking about Eva being there, so badly hurt that all she could do was watch, powerless to stop it.. no words can describe what that must have been like for her. Then to somehow find the strength to drag yourself to safety with your bare fucking hands? That takes a certain type of fire that incredibly few possess. 

He’d seen enough, if not too much, and closed his terminal down for the night. He traipsed over to his bed, flopping down onto his back and huffing out a breath. Seeing that body in the picture, practically dissolved to nothing but bones, he couldn’t help but wonder how Eva had no scars to speak of after all she went through. Spirits, he’d seen pretty much every alluring inch of her. That soft, ivory skin was completely flawless from head to toe. In fact, the only marks he’d seen were the ones his teeth and talons had left in the midst of their passion. 

_Spirits, don’t think about that now.._

Time continued to slowly trundle by as he lay there, unsuccessfully trying to sleep. He rolled over for what felt like the millionth time and growled a little in his frustration. His mind was just too damn busy, the events of the past couple of days running through like a movie as he tried to make sense of it all. He checked the time on his Omni-Tool.. almost 0200. _Fantastic_.

_Screw this.._

He shot up, groaning and grumbling in his grumpy state as he got out of bed. Staying here was pointless, he obviously wasn’t sleeping tonight. May as well get some coffee and keep himself busy in the Main Battery until morning. He stormed across the cabin and through the door, making his way towards the elevator. As he waited for it to arrive, he folded his arms across his chest, tapping his foot impatiently. 

_Why are these things always so damn slow?!_

When the doors finally opened, he completely lost his train of thought, his arms falling to his sides as icy blue eyes met his own. 

“Hey, Blue,” she said softly, smiling up at him. 

_Spirits.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally my plan was to do one lengthy chapter but, I wanted this bit from Garrus' perspective and the next bit from Eva's so, I've split them into two instead.
> 
> But.. shit, she's here! Wahey!
> 
> To those who were expecting a smut-tastic chapter this time, I do apologise. The next one will more than make up for it though, I'm about half way through as we speak 😏


	10. All Bets Are Off

“Eva,” he said quietly. “You’re here..” 

He looked completely shocked, if not a little tired. But, god damn, it sure was good to see him again. She’d been wracked with uncertainty all the way here, even debated turning around and heading home a couple of times but, seeing Garrus now.. she knew she’d made the right choice. The doors to the elevator began to close between them until three fingered hands slammed them back open. She couldn’t help but laugh a little at his urgency.

“Sure looks that way,” she teased.

“I thought you wanted to wait until the morning?”

“Technically it is the morning,” she tittered, ducking out beneath his arm. “Nah, I just couldn’t sleep. Once I’d made up my mind, I figured there was no point just sitting around all night. Apparently my room is on this deck?” 

“Uh, yeah.. sorry,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “Come on, I’ll show you..”

She quietly smiled to herself, it was kind of adorable when he got all flustered. She reached down for her bag but, Garrus scooped it up before she could grab it and hooked it over his shoulder.

“What are you doing up, anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” he admitted. “What about Mordin? Is he here, too?”

“Nah, not yet,” she shrugged. “He’s still got some stuff to sort out, he said he’ll be here for 0800. Thanks for letting him come with us, Big Guy.. I appreciate it.” 

“It’s no problem,” he rumbled. “What about his clinic? Will they manage without him?”

“Yeah.. his assistant, Daniel, is gonna take over. He’s a smart guy, Mordin taught him a lot.. they’ll be fine.”

She followed close behind as Garrus lead her to the doors at the end of the hallway. As soon as they whooshed open, her eyes danced across the breathtaking cabin inside. It looked like a penthouse suite for a luxury cruiser or something. She clapped excitedly before darting into the room, stopping at the top of the steps to take everything in.

“Holy elcors on toast,” she exclaimed. “This is insane! Look at the size of the.. wait, is that a fish tank?” 

“Yeah,” he chuckled, following close behind. “Not really sure why they thought we’d need them but, there we are..” 

She approached the glass and gazed into the water, watching the bubbles floating to the surface as the plants and corals swayed to and fro. As she explored further into the cabin, she spotted the huge window wall at the far end of the room and rushed over to check it out.

“Wow..” she gasped, gazing through the glass. “This must make for one hell of a view.”

“It certainly does..” he purred.

 _Sweet talker,_ she thought to herself, smirking a little.

Whilst he genuinely seemed pleased to see her, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was.. off. Maybe he was just tired but, it felt like more than that.

“You okay, Big Guy? You seem a bit.. I dunno..”

“Sorry, it’s just been a long day,” he said a little wearily. “To be honest, I'm still processing the fact that you’re actually here. I was starting to doubt that I’d ever see you again..” 

As he walked down the steps towards her, she took a seat in the arm chair nearby. 

“Really? Why?”

He placed her bag on the coffee table and slumped down on the sofa. 

“Well,” he sighed. “You left for a reason, right? No one could blame you if you weren’t ready to do this just yet..” 

Whilst she’d admit that the prospect of leaving and facing the inevitable was a chilling one, she couldn’t think of anyone better to face it with than Garrus. Omega had served its purpose for a time but, there was nothing for her here anymore. If she didn’t take this chance.. she knew she’d be stuck on this crime ridden hell hole forever. 

“Well.. I guess now's as good a time as any, right?”

He perked up a little at that.

“You really are incredible, you know that?” he chuckled, shaking his head. “It really means a lot to me that you’re here, Eva. I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. There’s a few familiar faces on the ship that can’t wait to see you..”

_Familiar faces? What the..?_

“Really? Like who?”

“Well..” he pondered. “I believe you know Lieutenant Vega..”

“No way! Vega's here? God damn, I haven’t seen him since basic."

It made sense that he’d be here. He made for one hell of a soldier even back in the day. Built like a tank, with a strong sense of duty.

“Oh yes, and he’s _very_ much been looking forward to seeing ‘Lola’ again,” he teased.

She burst out laughing upon hearing the name. Jesus, she’d forgotten all about it. 

“Oh god,” she said between laughing breaths. “Does he still call me that?” 

“Pretty much exclusively,” he chuckled. 

“He always was a hopeless flirt,” she tittered. “Okay, so far so good. Who else we got?” 

“Let’s see,” he mused, trying to sound mysterious. “There’s our pilot, he says he’s a good friend of yours..”

_No way, it can’t be.._

“Wait.. _Joker?_ ”

“Yep,” he chirped. “Best pilot in the Alliance. Flies the Normandy like it’s a damn sky car.” 

That was music to her ears. Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau; one of the few people she knew she’d miss when she left. Knowing him, he must have lost his shit when he saw the Normandy for the first time. He may not be able to fight but, god damn, that guy was born to fly. 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe this! Screw the Alliance, Joker’s the best pilot in the whole damn galaxy,” she beamed. “You’re lucky to have him.”

“Yes we are,” he chuckled. 

“Damn straight! Man, I can’t wait to see him again,” she sighed. “Is there anyone else?”

Those piercing blue eyes searched her features before he leaned back against the couch and ran his hand down his face wearily.

“Uh.. yeah,” he sighed. “There’s Nihlus..”

_Does he mean..?_

“As in.. Nihlus Kryik?” 

“Mmhmm. He was assigned as my mentor when I became a Spectre so, he’s gonna be part of the crew for a while. He told me you guys worked together for a time..”

She felt a little sad upon hearing his name. She’d left without giving Nihlus so much as a goodbye and she’d always felt guilty for it. He deserved better than that. Fuck, how the hell was he going to react when he saw her? He must be so damn pissed and she could hardly blame him.

“Yeah.. we did,” she mumbled.

She swept her hair over her shoulder, twiddling the ends around her fingers as she felt that pang of anxiety kick in. Garrus' mood shift upon mentioning Nihlus wasn’t particularly subtle.

“He’s mad at me, huh?” 

“What? Spirits, Eva..”

Garrus shot up and sat himself down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. 

“Of course he isn’t. Why on Palaven would you think that?”

“Well, I wouldn’t blame him if he was,” she shrugged, her fingers fiddling more erratically. “I took off without giving him an explanation or saying goodbye. He’d been a good friend, it was a shitty thing to do.”

Warm, three fingered hands wrapped around her own, urging them away from her anxious tick. She finally met his eye, feeling comforted by the sincerity in his gaze. 

“Nihlus doesn’t hold that against you, Eva. Trust me,” Garrus said, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “He’s been fighting your corner from the beginning.”

“What do you mean?”

He scooched a little closer, his much longer legs barricading her own from either side. 

“Well.. I might have told him about my plans to invite a certain someone to join the crew,” he admitted. “Spirits, he was so damn pissed at me for it.”

“He was?” she chuckled. “Why?”

“He didn’t think I was taking your situation or our potential partnership seriously,” he explained, his thumbs gently stroking across her skin. “Letting myself get distracted instead of focusing on you.”

She had to admit, when Garrus had told her about his plans to invite her along when he still knew her as Ash.. it had brought on those little butterflies that only he seemed to conjure so easily. Knowing that he’d actually told people about her? Well, that was just the icing on the cake.

“So, you were just gonna ditch me for some random girl, Vakarian?” she teased, raising one of her brows.

“I’m afraid so,” he sighed mockingly. “In my defense, she was pretty damn incredible..”

“Is that right?” 

“Mmhmm,” he rumbled. “And to use Vega’s words.. she was _smokin’_ hot.” 

“Damn, sounds like I cost you a good one there, Big Guy,” she chuckled. “But, I’m glad about Nihlus. It'll be good to see him again. Does he know about.. you know.. everything?”

“Uh.. no, he doesn’t,” he said, opening his hands to free her own. “Better?” 

She wiggled her fingers a little, the restless, fidgety feeling no longer tingling through them. 

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at him. “Thanks, Blue. Can’t have been very discreet for you to notice..”

“No, you’re fine,” he soothed. “I’ve just gotten pretty good at reading your body language.” 

Well, if that wasn’t the understatement of the year. In the past two days, this guy had learned more ways to make her tick than any guy had before. Studied her like an ancient text, desperate to learn all her secrets. 

_God damn it, Eva, now is **not** the time.._

She hopped off _that_ particular train of thought when she heard him rumbling with that deep, devilish chuckle. 

“..what?”

“You’re blushing,” he purred. “Why is that, Eva?”

God damn it, case and point. 

“Shut it, you,” she chided, lightly shoving his shoulder. “Speaking of body language.. yours got a little shifty when you mentioned Nihlus, Big Guy. I thought it was because he really was mad at me but, if he isn’t.. why the hesitance to bring him up?” 

Like clockwork, he instantly switched, his mandibles pulling tight against his jaw. If he wasn’t like this for Nihlus' sake.. then it had to be for hers. Suddenly, everything made sense. 

“He told you, didn’t he? About Akuze..” 

“Spirits, how did you..” 

He stopped mid sentence, running his hand down the length of his fringe as a defeated sigh escaped him.

“Yeah, he did,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, Eva. It was my fault. Nihlus came to see me when I got back tonight and I was a little.. stressed. I had no idea what you’d been through so, I wasn’t sure if I’d done enough to convince you to join us. He only told me so I would understand the magnitude of what I was asking of you. I’m sorry..” 

“It’s okay, Blue,” she insisted. “Honestly. I would have told you eventually anyway.”

“Really?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, it’s as I said.. I trust you, Garrus. That doesn’t happen often for me. While this project is truly an amazing concept and long overdue, I’m not sure whether I’d be sat here right now if it was anyone else that had come looking for me..”

He smiled tenderly at that, his subharmonics chirruping away like a little canary. 

“I’m honoured that you feel that way, Eva,” he said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You and I.. we’re gonna make one hell of a team.”

“Damn skippy we are,” she beamed. “So.. Nihlus telling you about Akuze.. is that what’s been bugging you?”

“Uh.. yes and no,” he said, that thoughtful hum lingering beneath his words.

“You gonna elaborate on that, or..?”

“Ugh, how do I put this..” he huffed. “It just.. it feels like the more I learn about you, the less the pieces seem to fit together.” 

“In what way?” 

She lifted her legs up onto the chair, crossing one over the over. As she did, she propped her elbows up on her knees, resting her chin on her hands as she gave him her full focus. His gaze flitted from her left eye, to the right and back again, staying quiet as if he were debating whether to say what he wanted to.

“Well,” he said finally, leaning forward to match her. “When I think about today, seeing you so upset.. spirits, it scared the crap out of me, Eva. Your damn heart almost gave out. Then Nihlus told me about what you went through, how you survived.. and I finally understood your reaction. Yet.. you’ve mentioned Akuze a couple of times now and your heartrate on my visor was barely a blip in comparison..”

He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning her features. 

“I don’t doubt that what happened back then had a profound impact on you, Eva. I can’t even begin to imagine the toll something like that takes on a person. I just don’t think it’s what you’ve been running from..” 

As he spoke, her knees began to bob up and down as her heart started to beat a little faster.

_Please.. no.._

“Back at the facility, you asked me if someone had sent me to find you,” he continued. “But.. when I mentioned Anderson’s name, you were shocked by it. Then there’s your personal files and military records, they were sealed long before you went to Akuze..” 

God damn it, he was getting too damn close. Dangerously close. It was getting hard to focus, the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Everything started to spin as she struggled to breathe. Suddenly, Garrus got to his knees in front of her, his strong arms wrapping around her and holding her in a tight embrace. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothed. “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”

Soft vibrations rumbled in his chest, soothing every nerve in her body as his hands gently stroked across her back.

“I don’t know who would be after you or why,” he said softly, resting his head beside hers. “But, I think _that_ is why you left. You don’t have to say anything, I just hope that one day you’ll feel comfortable enough to tell me. However.. if at any point you get even the slightest suspicion that you’re in danger, I _need_ you to tell me, Eva. Okay? It’s the only way I can protect you..” 

It was too soon. She couldn’t tell him, not yet. He was too damn smart for his own good but, at least he didn’t push her. Just ready to be there when the time came. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting his warmth surround her as she teetered out of her spiral.

“..okay,” she said quietly.

He held her tighter in response, no doubt realising that she’d essentially confirmed his theory. They stayed like that for a long time, that soft rumble in his chest calming her nerves as he ran his talons through her hair. 

“I won’t ever let anyone hurt you, Eva,” he said after a while. “You’ll be safe with me.” 

She didn’t say anything, simply nodding in reply. Eventually, she let out a deep sigh to wash the remnants of her anxiety away as Garrus released his hold on her. He sat back on the coffee table, resting his hands on her knees. 

“So..” she sighed, eager to change the subject. “Where do we go from here, Blue?”

He didn’t attempt to pry any further, and she couldn’t have been more grateful to him for that. 

“Well.. we ship out in the morning.. day cycle morning, that is. We’ll need to check in with Fedorian, Anderson and Hackett. Let them know that you’re on board with the project. I assume they’ll tell us where to go from there..”

“Don’t you think we should talk about.. you know..” she asked, gesturing to the general space between them. 

“Yeah,” he sighed.

Despite everything.. this was the moment she’d most been dreading. 

_God damn it, I can’t believe I’m actually gonna do this.._

“Look, Big Guy,” she began with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what the protocol is within this project but, Alliance regs are super strict about fraternisation. Especially amongst shipmates. You said there’s a lot of Alliance soldiers amongst the crew.. if someone caught us and word got back to Hackett or Anderson..” 

“..then one of us would be taken off the project,” he finished, a subtle keening of his subvocals lacing his words. “I know. I hate to say it but, I’ve been thinking about this too.."

He held his hands open in invitation and she accepted gladly, moving to rest them in her lap.

“Come on, Blue. You’re the Spectre here, and the CO of this whole thing. We both know it’s me that they’d have to replace..” 

“I can’t let that happen,” he snapped, shaking his head. “You belong here, Eva. If the only way I can keep you safe is for us to just be friends and partners in this project then.. so be it.”

This.. it _hurt_. How the hell could it hurt this damn much when they hadn’t even known each other that long? But.. Garrus was right. If it was a choice between keeping things professional so they could stay together, or risk being separated for good, then it had to be done. The epitome of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.

“God,” she sighed, hanging her head. “This fucking sucks.”

She felt his finger press beneath her chin, raising her head to meet his eye. 

“Yeah, it does,” he said solemnly. “But, it doesn’t have to be forever. We just need to show everyone that we can work well together and get the job done. Once we’ve been doing this a while and we get a better understanding of what’s expected of us, what the rules are.. we can think about picking up where we left off.”

“I hope so, Blue..” 

“Don’t think for a second that this changes how I feel, Eva,” he said sincerely. “We just need to play it safe for a while. But, I’m still gonna be here for you, day or night, whatever you need. Okay?” 

“Okay,” she said reluctantly, giving him a single nod. “Thanks, Garrus.” 

Their eyes locked for long moments, and as she gazed into those deep, cerulean pools, she wished more than anything that she could turn back time. Just go back to yesterday morning and let him stay in that damn shower when he’d asked. At least then they’d have had a little more time together before the craziness commenced. She really was going to miss it, wanting nothing more than to just lean in and kiss him. 

“Well,” he said finally, clearing his throat. “I should probably leave you to get settled. It’s been a long day, we should try and get some sleep.”

_At least he’s strong enough for this, all I wanna do is touch him.._

He got to his feet and she followed suit, fighting every urge inside her that was dying to make him stay. 

“Tell me about it,” she sighed. “Thanks for staying with me for a while, Blue. I’m glad we got a chance to talk.”

“Me too,” he said softly. “My cabin is the other one opposite the elevator. If you need anything at all, my door is always open.”

“We.. have our own floor?”

“Uh.. yeah,” he replied, somewhat sheepishly.

“Of course we do,” she droned, rubbing her forehead wearily. “Couldn’t make it easy, could they?”

“If it helps, I am _much_ happier about it than I was before I met you..” 

“Hmm.. maybe a little,” she shrugged, smirking at him.

“Good,” he chuckled. “Well.. good night, Eva.”

_Damn it, just tell him to stay, you coward._

“Night, Blue..”

_Yeah.. great job, Eva. Idiot._

He sighed a little as he turned and headed for the door. And just like that, he was gone. This was the second time now that she’d watched his gorgeous ass leave and kicked herself for not doing anything about it. Was that it for them now? Fucking hell, it just couldn’t be. She felt denied, desperate for closure. Like a firework that had sizzled out before it could ignite. 

_God damn it. Why can’t anything ever be easy?_

She stood there, chewing on a fingernail as she stared at the door, internally debating with herself. Before she knew it, her feet were carrying her in that direction as if they had independent thought.

No. If Garrus could be strong in this, then she could too. She just needed to do something, keep her mind occupied. If she didn’t, she knew damn well she’d seek him out and have her wicked way with him for one last time. As she glanced around, her eyes landed on her bag still lying on the coffee table. 

_That’ll do it.._

She stormed over, unzipping the main compartment to start unpacking her things. As she removed the top pile of clothes and bits and bobs, she heard the doors whoosh open again, stopping what she was doing to face the smirking turian now leaning against the doorway.

“You know,” he purred, nonchalantly observing his talons. “Just a thought here but, technically speaking.. our partnership hasn’t officially started yet. In fact, no one really even knows you’re on the ship..”

He folded his arms across his chest, those broad plates and huge muscles looking incredibly fine beneath his shirt. 

_God damn, he looks so hot in black. Well.. game on, Blue._

“What are you getting at, Garrus?” she cooed, slinking towards him. 

He pushed off the doorway, striding towards her with that same immovable confidence. 

“I’m merely pointing out a loophole that could work to our advantage,” he explained casually. 

“Uh huh.. and what do you propose we do with this ‘loophole’, exactly?” 

He moved to stand right in front of her, that magnetising energy between them only growing more intense from this close. She wanted him. More than anything.

“I propose..” he purred, leaning in close. “..that until one of us leaves this room in the morning, all bets are off.”

“Hmm.. kind of like a ‘farewell to Ash’ sorta thing,” she teased.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. 

His hand came to rest against her cheek and she leaned into his touch. It was crazy how much she’d missed this feeling. The way he looked at her, it made her knees tremble. That intoxicating mix of tenderness and pure fire.

“That’s not what this is. No matter how long it takes, we _will_ get our chance. I’ll make damn sure of it,” he insisted. “I want _you_ , Eva.. the _real_ you.. and if you agree, I’m gonna show you just how much I want you until one of us walks out that door.” 

“Oh, I definitely agree,” she purred, stroking up his chest as she slinked closer. “In fact.. I might just put a deadlock on it so we’re stuck in here for good.”

“Spirits, if only,” he growled, leaning in to claim her mouth hungrily. 

His hands tangled through her hair as their mouths collided, her own desperately clutching at his chest plates through his shirt. He urged her backwards, leading them deeper into the cabin until she wobbled a little when she reached the edge of the steps. Before she could fall, he instantly wrapped his arm around her, and they both laughed a little at their shared eagerness. 

As she quickly skipped down the steps, she whipped off her jumper and chucked it towards the sofa, swiftly turning back around to face him once she reached the bottom. As he stalked towards her, he pulled his shirt up over his head and she watched appreciatively as his muscles flexed with each movement. God damn, she could happily look at him all day. He reached up behind his head, about to take off his visor.

“No.. leave it on,” she purred. 

His brow plates raised a little as he smirked at her, lowering his arms back down. 

“Yes, Ma’am.”

As he grew ever closer, she could see him staring at the emblem on her t-shirt. She had to admit, it felt pretty damn good to wear it again.

“Spirits,” he growled, lifting her up as she wrapped her legs around him. “You have no idea how sexy it is that you’re an N7..” 

His hands moved to cup her ass, her own clinging tightly onto his shoulders.

“Is it now?” 

She planted firm kisses along his neck, dragging her teeth across his hide ever so slightly as she went. 

“Mmhmm,” he murmured, growling a little in response to her touch. “Beautiful and deadly.. just the way I like it. That being said, I will rip that shirt off if you don’t take it off.” 

She leaned back a little to meet his eye, smirking at his demanding tone.

“Careful now, Vakarian..” she teased, removing her shirt and chucking it aside. 

She pressed her body right into him, holding onto the back of his cowl as she put her lips to his ear.

“Now you know what I’m really capable of,” she whispered. “Surely you must have realised that when I said I could easily take you.. I meant it.” 

He snarled that lustful, bestial growl that made her sex ache with need, his talons searing across her ass cheeks enough to tear through the fabric of her leggings. 

“Is that right?” he rumbled, nipping at her neck a little rougher than usual.

_Oh god, I really shouldn’t love that as much as I do._

When he eventually looked at her, she simply raised her brows once suggestively in reply. 

“Eva, trust me when I say that I _can_ and will take you,” he boasted as he carried her towards the bed. “I’m gonna take you long.. and hard.. over and over. And you’re gonna love every damn minute.” 

_Holy shit, that was so hot.._

“I fucking love it when you talk like that,” she breathed, sliding her fingers beneath his mandibles as she kissed him fiercely. 

They didn’t move from that spot for the longest time, too lost in the moment as their needy hands explored and their tongues plunged deeply into each others mouths. Him devouring her moans of pleasure, and her consuming his lustful growls. His hand began to creep up her back, and she broke the kiss when she felt her bra suddenly hanging loose.

“Damn, Big Guy,” she chirped. “Two days ago you didn’t even know what a bra was and now you’re undoing them like a pro?”

“What can I say?” he purred, nibbling along her throat. “I’m a fast learner.”

“..you looked it up, didn’t you?”

She felt that devious chuckle rumbling in his chest and it reverberated through her just as it did every god damn time, delightfully stimulating each and every nerve from her head right down to her toes. 

“No comment,” he teased.

As he took her lips again, he gripped the front of her bra, coaxing it off and tossing it aside. The instant it left his hand, he immediately moved to clutch one of her breasts, massaging it in just the right way as his thumb glided across her nipple and she moaned breathlessly in reply. He laid her down on the bed, raising himself up a little to look at her with those gorgeous blue eyes. 

“Actually.. there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you..” he purred.

As she lay there, she carelessly caressed the plates and hide of his chest, addicted to the feel of him. 

“What’s that, Blue?”

“That thing you did with this incredible mouth of yours..” he asked, dragging his thumb across her bottom lip. “Do human women enjoy similar acts?” 

Her whole body quivered in delight at the mere thought. She propped herself up a little, lightly tugging on the end of his mandible with her teeth. 

“Oh, Garrus,” she whispered against his cheek. “We fucking love it.” 

“I was hoping you’d say that..” he purred.

He flashed her a wicked grin and moved back a little, tucking his talons beneath her leggings and underwear as he coaxed them down. Moments later, she was completely laid bare before him and she watched as his gaze danced across her body, unashamedly eye fucking her from where he stood at the edge of the bed. She loved it, loved knowing he craved her as much as she did him. 

“So.. you just gonna stand there and check me out, or..?”

He smirked at that, moving back onto the bed to lay between her legs. Even through his sweatpants, she could feel _exactly_ how much he wanted her. Just thinking about how damn good he felt inside her made her core ache longingly.

“If I didn’t wanna touch you so damn badly then, yes, I would happily do that.”

“I know the feeling,” she cooed, rolling her hips into him. 

He pressed his lips to hers, their tongues entwining together before he pulled away to slowly lower himself down her body, planting feather-light kisses across her skin as he went. He lingered a while when he reached her chest, that magical tongue twirling around her nipples as he eagerly clutched at her breasts. She moaned softly at his touch, her back arching as she leaned into his movements. As she did, his hand swept beneath the arch to rest on the small of her back. 

“Spirits, this little waist,” he growled, kissing his way down to her ribs. “I just wanna sink my teeth into it.” 

Her body shivered beneath him at the thought, last time he did that, it blew her fucking mind. But, that would have to wait. He travelled further still, his lips trailing down her stomach and over her jutting hip. As if to taunt her, he stopped there, and she instantly felt restless from the lack of contact. 

Suddenly, huge hands gripped onto her hips, making her yelp in surprise as he yanked her down towards him. He’d moved to kneel beside the bed, hooking her legs up to rest over those strong arms, leaving her totally at his mercy. She raised herself up to meet his eye, thoroughly enjoying the sight of his hulking form nestled between her thighs. 

“Lookin’ good down there, Big Guy,” she chirped. “Suits you.” 

“You should see the view from down here..” he replied, flashing her that devilish grin.

“Well, make the most of it.. who knows when you’re gonna get to see it again.”

“Don’t talk like that,” he chided. 

He gave her inner thigh a firm nip in warning and it sent a wave of pleasure rippling through her.

“Garrus, if you want me to stop, I would not recommend using _that_ as a deterrent,” she teased, smirking at him. 

“Spirits,” he huffed. “Just lay down and enjoy this, you stubborn human.”

“Yes, sir,” she sighed mockingly, lowering herself down.

“Mmm, I like that,” he purred. “Say it again.”

“Hmm..” she pondered. “Maybe. You’ll have to earn it.” 

“Oh, I’ll do more than that..” 

_I don’t doubt it, Big Guy.._

As she lay there, her entire body tingled in anticipation. So damn worked up and hot for this turian that she could barely keep still. She closed her eyes, wanting to heighten each and every sensation coming her way. It didn’t take long before she felt his fingers sliding up her sex, rubbing against either side of her clit as they reached the top. Oh god, even the slightest touch with those magical hands drove her wild. What the hell was it going to be like when he started using his mouth? 

_Fucking mind blowing, that’s what._

“Spirits, Eva,” he growled, slowly gliding his fingers up and down her sex. “You’re so fucking wet.” 

“Garrus, I’m pretty much at the point where I get wet just by looking at you, so..” 

“Spirits, don’t tell me that. How am I gonna focus on missions if I know that you’re like this beside me?” 

“Aww, I’m sorry, Big Guy,” she teased. “I thought you would've liked it..” 

She felt his teeth nibbling on her inner thigh as his fingers swept through her folds and she hissed in a breath, desperately craving more. 

“Are you kidding me?” he rumbled. “I love it. The thought of you with a gun in your hand, all wet like this beneath your armour.. spirits, that turns me on like crazy. It’s just gonna be hard to focus on fighting when all I’ll be thinking about is how much I wanna fuck you..” 

Oh god, she hadn’t even thought about that. One of the things that turned her on about him was how damn powerful he was. What was she gonna be like when she saw him fighting on missions? In that gorgeous blue armour, rifle in hand. Fuck. This was going to be even harder than she thought.

“Maybe we should make cold showers mandatory for both us before missions,” she offered, only half in jest. “Might be safer that way.” 

“Well, hang on.. let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he purred.

As he spoke, she could feel his breaths against her sex and knew he was about to go in for the kill. She gripped the sheets a little, way too eager for whatever magical things he was about to do to her. 

“Ready?” 

“From the very first time I saw that tongue of yours, Blue.”

“Eva, that was way before we even did anything..”

“Yes it was,” she purred.

“Spirits, you really are trouble,” he rumbled, nipping at her thigh. 

The wait was seconds that felt like hours, her entire body tensing in excited anticipation. As soon as she felt that deliciously long tongue curiously sliding up her sex, she sighed in sheer blissful relief. 

“You taste fucking incredible, Eva,” he growled lustfully. 

Apparently happy with his experimental tasting session, he instantly became bolder, his spectacular tongue lapping up all of wetness greedily. It felt fucking sublime, even more so than she expected and that was saying something. With the next sweep through her folds, he wrapped his mouth around her clit, gently sucking and licking at the sensitive flesh. She moaned shamelessly, her toes curling from the sudden rush of pleasure.

“Fuck, Garrus,” she cried. “Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”

He chuckled at that and his mandibles fluttered against her thighs, only adding to the sensation.

“No, but I definitely wish we had done this sooner,” he rumbled, coming up for air. “You’re so soft and wet..”

He was just as turned on by this as she was and it drove her fucking wild. He scooched her down a little more and coaxed her legs open wider, sliding his tongue through her opening hungrily. Her body writhed more and more the deeper he got, and once he’d gone as far as he could go, she could feel him exploring her sex from the inside. Eagerly searching for those little sweet spots he knew were there. As his tongue fluttered against a particularly sensitive one, she cried out desperately and bucked her hips into him unconsciously. He gripped her waist tight and growled lewdly in reply, the vibrations flowing through him and tingling across her sex.

“Jesus, Garrus,” she said breathlessly. “You feel like a fucking vibrator when you do that.” 

“Do what?” he asked mischievously. “This?”

He did it again and her core throbbed in pulses as the vibrations artfully rubbed against her clit. She reached up to grip the sheets behind her head, holding on for dear life as she hissed in a sharp breath. 

“Fuck! Yes, that,” she cried. “Garrus, please, I’m so fucking horny right now. Don't tease me.."

“Shh, don’t worry,” he soothed, planting kisses along her thigh. “I’m gonna take care of you.” 

As soon as he finished speaking, he zoned in to focus on her clit, licking, sucking and lightly nibbling with expertise. Then, she felt his finger against her sex before he slowly slid it inside her. Holy shit, it just felt too fucking good, she didn’t know what to do with herself. He took his time until her body adjusted but, after a while, he was working her clit like an absolute master while he thoroughly fucked her with his finger. She moved her legs to rest over his shoulders, her moans getting heavier as she felt herself getting closer. 

“Garrus, fuck,” she whined. “I’m gonna cum..” 

He rumbled deeply in reply and changed paces, sliding his finger out of her to swiftly replace with his tongue as his finger rubbed firm, delectable machinations against her clit. Fucking hell, how had he not done this before?! She was so damn close, her whole body arching as she rolled her hips into his movements. His free hand slid up her body, clutching one of her breasts as his thumb stroked across the hardened peak of her nipple. Her core tightened and clenched as she neared the brink and he tore his mouth away for the briefest moment, his tongue sweeping up through her folds to delicately flutter and flick against her clit.

“Cum for me, beautiful,” he said softly.

He commanded and her body obeyed. As soon as she felt that first quake wrack through her, she cried out his name and he glided his tongue back inside her, eager to feel and taste every last bit of her climax. Her thighs wrapped around his neck, each pulse hitting her like a shockwave, spreading from her core right through to her fingers and toes. Every time a ripple ran through her, his talons flexed a little against her skin, feeling the pleasure almost as much as she was. By the time her orgasm had slowed, she felt pins and needles all over. Just that little static tingle across the skin. It was the same every damn time, and she fucking loved it. 

When he eventually slid his tongue back out of her, he tenderly lapped up any traces of her climax, her body trembling in reply in it’s hypersensitive state. She moved to sit up and face him, feeling breathless and utterly pleasured. He pressed his lips to her thighs before straightening up to meet her eye.

“So..” he purred, stroking up and down her sides. “How did I do?”

“Hmmm.. I don’t know,” she teased between her panting breaths, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You should probably do it again so I can be sure..” 

“Well, I’m sure we can arrange that,” he chuckled, sweeping her hair off her shoulder.

He pulled her tight against him, their lips meeting in a slow and sensual embrace for long moments.

“I like the way I taste in your mouth,” she whispered against his lips. 

“Mm, so do I,” he rumbled. “Come on, I wanna try something..” 

Garrus got to his feet, encouraging her to stand with him.

“Does this something involve you taking the rest of your clothes off?” 

“Yes it does,” he chuckled.

He quickly set about removing his sweatpants, kicking them aside carelessly. 

“Better?”

Her gaze immediately shot to his cock, glistening in the light and looking _very_ happy to finally be free. She was pretty damn chuffed about it, too. 

“I’ll say,” she purred, her head tilting to the side as she appraised his chiselled form.

He was considerably taller and broader than most turians, made of pure muscle and covered in plates that looked as though they were crafted from silver ore. When she said she got turned on just by looking at him.. she wasn’t lying. 

“You are one hot turian, Big Guy,” she continued, slinking closer. “Now.. what was it you wanted to try?” 

He matched her steps, raising her head to meet his eye once he stood before her. 

“With you? Everything,” he rumbled, delicately kissing her lips. “But, for now..”

His hand stroked down her arm until he took her hand in his own, leading her over to the bed. He sat himself down on the edge and she came to stand between his legs.

“Turn around,” he said softly.

She wasn’t sure where he was going with this but, she complied nonetheless. As soon as she had her back to him, he grabbed her by the waist and she yelped in surprise as he lifted her onto his lap, her legs resting either side of his own. As he wrapped his arms around her, she could feel his cock resting against her back, incredibly hard and practically throbbing. Okay.. now she could see where this was going.

“I dunno if this gonna work, Blue.. I can’t even reach the damn floor,” she insisted, wiggling her legs for emphasis. 

“I’ve already thought about that,” he chuckled. “Tuck your feet into my spurs..”

“Won’t that hurt?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder to look at him. 

“Eva, as impressively strong as you are for someone so damn tiny, you still weigh about as much as a damp towel. Trust me, it’ll be fine.” 

She exhaled heavily in reply, moving her feet to blindly search for the spurs on the back of his calves. Once she found them, she slotted her ankles in the crooks there as though they were stirrups. It actually felt much sturdier than she was expecting.

“That feel okay?”

“I should be asking you that. Are you sure this isn’t gonna hurt?” 

“I’m sure,” he chuckled, pressing his lips along her shoulder. 

“Fine,” she conceded. “But, the second you feel something, you tell me. Got it?”

“Oh, I’m gonna be feeling lots of things, gorgeous,” he purred, clutching her breasts to make a point. “All of them incredible.”

His thumbs stroked across her nipples simultaneously, bringing out of her a soft little moan as her head lulled back to rest on his chest. 

“You’re such a sweet talker, Vakarian,” she said, sighing blissfully. 

“Maybe,” he rumbled. “But I mean every word.” 

She tilted her head back to look at him, feeling a warmth flooding through her from the tenderness in his gaze. To think this could be their last time doing this.. no, she couldn’t think about that now.

“I believe you,” she said softly, pressing her lips to his jaw. “Alright, you’re gonna have to help me here..” 

While she was still pretty paranoid about snapping his damn spurs off, he seemed to read her mind, knowing just what she needed. Huge hands gripped onto her waist, lifting her as she pushed herself up enough for his cock to fall free and stand at the ready between her thighs. She reached down to line him up exactly where she wanted him, the both of them moaning contently as the tip swept through her folds and gently teased through her opening. 

He held her steady as she lowered herself down, their desperate panting breaths filling the space as her body took his length greedily. The more of him she took, the stronger his lustful growls became, and she could hardly fucking blame him. It felt incredible. Before she knew it, she was resting in his lap again, her chest heaving at the feeling of being so overwhelmingly filled. Even though Garrus' tongue fucking session had prepared her nicely, his cock was still so damn huge. She leaned back to rest against his chest, strong arms holding her in a tender embrace while she gave her body a minute to adjust to his size. 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, planting delicate kisses along her shoulder. 

“Never been better, Blue,” she sighed happily, her fingers tracing careless circles across his arms. 

She knew he was waiting for her go ahead before taking this any further. As always, never willing to rush her if there was a risk of hurting her. She hadn’t fully moulded to accommodate him yet but, she just craved more, yearning to feel him wherever she could. Her hand crept up to rest against his neck, stroking against his hide. 

“Touch me, Garrus,” she whispered.

He nuzzled into her neck, trailing his tongue up her throat.

“Where do you want me to touch you?” 

“Everywhere,” she teased. 

His chuckle rumbled through her as one of his hands steadily made its way between her thighs. She spread her legs wider in anticipation, moaning softly as his fingers glided over her clit. 

“Is this the sort of thing you had in mind?” he purred, his magical fingers working her slowly.

“Yeah, something like that,” she said breathlessly. 

As he continued his machinations, it opened her up to him the rest of the way, finally free to make the most of his delicious length that filled her to the brim. She started gently rolling her hips into his movements, little whimpers escaping her each time the tip of his cock brushed against that little wall inside her core. Now he knew she was ready, he kicked up the heat, his free hand moving to one of her breasts as he massaged her clit spectacularly. 

From this angle, every little feeling was just so damn intense. Even the slightest movements sent powerful waves of pleasure rushing through her, only heightened by the feel of his hands as they worked her perfectly. Her moves were bolder now, gyrating her hips in serpentine patterns and deep, rolling motions. A constant rumble emanated from his chest as she rode his length, feeling each sensation just as intensely as she was. His hands caressed her everywhere he could touch, stroking along her thighs, her hips, her waist. Stopping now and again to eagerly clutch at her breasts, lightly pinching the hardened peaks of her nipples. 

“I can’t get enough of your tight little body," he growled, running his hands down her waist and hips. "You’re so soft all over.” 

He nipped along her shoulder, his tongue following close behind to soothe the tender skin. 

“Big Guy, this feels fucking incredible,” she panted. “But I can’t touch you like this..” 

“Well, I can certainly touch you,” he purred, gliding his fingers over her clit.

She cried out lewdly in reply as her core tightened around him and the sensation brought out of him a deep, rumbling, carnal growl. Suddenly, he grabbed onto her waist, lifting her off him in one quick motion. It was completely unexpected, making her yelp in pure ecstasy at the rush. He swiftly scooped her up in his arms, and before she knew it, he was climbing on top of her as he laid her down on the bed. As soon as he did, her hands were all over him, stroking and caressing him wherever she could. 

“Spirits,” he growled, shaking his head. “Feeling you tightening around me like that drives me crazy."

“I can’t help it,” she breathed. “God, I’m so fucking hot for you, Garrus.”

He claimed her mouth fiercely in reply, his cock sweeping through her wetness and against her clit until it found her opening. With that, he buried himself in her with one swift thrust and the room practically echoed with the cries of pleasure that escaped them.

“You better hold on tight, gorgeous,” he rumbled. 

And she did just that, grappling herself around him as he fucked her like his life depended on it. God damn, this guy had some serious fucking stamina. He drove into her hard and fast with no sign of relenting, his cock brushing against all of her sweet spots in such quick succession that her body writhed uncontrollably beneath him.

“Fuck, Garrus..” she hissed. 

Before she could even finish speaking, her core quaked and throbbed intensely as she found her release. As soon as that first explosive wave rushed through her, Garrus erupted with an almighty roar, tightening his hold on her as he met his own end.

They clung to one another as they came utterly undone, their mouths colliding deeply and passionately without coming up for air. Her body trembled in euphoria as her sex pulsed around his cock like a heartbeat, milking him for everything he had. He tore his mouth away to nip along her throat, rocking his hips into her with slow, deep thrusts.

“Spirits, Eva,” he growled. “I hope you’re ready to go again because, I don’t think I can wait around this time..”

He _definitely_ wasn’t exaggerating, she could feel he was still rock hard inside her. She was so damn sensitive right now but, for the life of her, she didn’t care. His lust fed her own and all she could think about was her burning need for this turian. Her hands crept beneath his fringe, teasingly stroking at the sensitive hide there. 

“Ready when you are, sir,” she purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this one was a roller coaster to write! I hope you guys have enjoyed the first true shakarian smut fest 😏 
> 
> Unfortunately I've got a lot going on this week so it may take me a little longer to get the next chapter done but, I'll aim to have it done ASAP. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading, I really appreciate it! 🙂


	11. I'll Miss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a while, had a lot going on these past couple of weeks. This chapter is where I introduce my personal little take on the tale, you'll know what I mean when you get there. I hope it intrigues you as opposed to putting you off 😂
> 
> We've got some emotions, we've got some smut.. I hope you enjoy it!

His eyes opened to a mess of brilliant white hair from where she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Human beds definitely weren’t designed with a turian’s comfort in mind but, it sure was worth it to wake up like this. Contently listening to the peaceful sound of her soft, shallow breaths, with her delectable scent all around him. A wave of sadness washed over him at the realisation that this could be his last chance to experience this for a very long time. 

He knew it had to be done. Their decision to keep things professional wasn’t one made lightly. Honestly, he was just glad that she’d had the guts to say it so he didn’t have to. Not being able to be with her like this, spirits, it was going to be tough. But, they simply couldn’t risk it. Not yet, at least.

For now, though, he could at least attempt to buy them a little more time. He stretched his arms up, being careful not to wake her as he opened his Omni-Tool to type out a message to Nihlus. 

_(GV: Shepard’s here, Nih. She’s coming with us. Gonna stay with her until she’s ready to meet everyone. You alright to man the fort until then?)_

It was barely seconds later that he received a reply. 

_(NK: Shit, I can’t believe she’s actually here! Of course, you guys take your time. This is gonna be a lot for her to take in. Spirits, this is great, I can’t wait to see her! Where are you?)_

He smirked a little at that, opting for the simplified version of the truth. 

_(GV: We’re on the top deck. She just wanted some time to get settled first. Could you check in with the ground team? I haven’t had a chance to bring them up to speed since yesterday.)_

_(NK: No problem. I’ll contact the project leaders as well, let them know she’s here. You gotta message me the second you guys get in that elevator. Understood?)_

He chuckled quietly at Nihlus' reply. He could just picture him down in his room, excitedly prancing around the place and chirruping away like an idiot. 

_(GV: Noted. Thanks, Nih. She’s looking forward to seeing you.)_

_(NK: Of course she is. Have you seen me?)_

_(GV: Unfortunately, yes.)_

_(NK: Ouch. Cut me real deep there, Gar-bear.)_

Garrus laughed a little, closing his Omni-Tool when he felt Eva starting to stir. His hand returned to the soft skin of her waist, humming happily as nimble little fingers began stroking across his chest. 

“What time is it, Blue?” she mumbled in her dreamy state.

“It’s, uh.. almost 0700,” he replied, his voice still husky from sleep.

Her body heaved beneath his hand as she let out a deep sigh.

“..how long do we have?” she asked, a hint of sadness in her tone.

“I asked Nihlus to keep an eye on things for a while,” he purred, stroking through her luscious, white locks. “Bought us a couple of hours.” 

She instantly turned to face him at that, a smirk upon her lips as she gazed up at him with those big blue eyes. 

_Spirits, she's so beautiful._

“Wow.. quite the abuse of power there, Big Guy,” she chuckled.

“I can always message him again and tell him we’re ready now, if you’d prefer?” he teased, lightly dragging his talons across her ivory skin.

The moment he finished speaking, she climbed on top of him to straddle him, still deliciously nude from their intense fuck fest only a couple of hours before. Her arms reached up to the ceiling, her body bending ever so nicely as she stretched the tiredness away.

“Works for me,” she said, letting out an exaggerated and not particularly convincing yawn. “No point just laying around all day, right?”

Watching her move like that, seeing how it accentuated every sensual dip and curve of that perfect little body.. spirits, his plates were loosening already. He stroked up her thighs, along those curvaceous hips and her slender little waist. 

“I know what you’re doing,” he purred. 

“What?” she chirped innocently. “I’m not doing anything..”

She tilted her head back to run her fingers through her long, snowy hair, shaking the tangles loose as the ends swished across his hide. Whenever she moved, her full, perky breasts would move with her and it was.. _very_ distracting. For someone who didn’t even see the appeal in such things before, he was _incredibly_ fond of them now. So much so that, the longer he watched her, the more he could feel his cock emerging from beneath his plates. She knew _exactly_ what she was doing, and he was more than happy to let her. 

She stopped to look behind her when she felt his length, now fully unsheathed, resting against her ass. When she looked back at him, she flashed him a wicked grin, knowing full well that she’d won. Although, in this instance.. he was perfectly okay with losing. 

“You liked that, huh?” 

He shot up at that and grabbed her, little giggles and surprised squeals escaping her as he flipped them over suddenly. He laid her down and settled between her legs, raising himself up a little so as not to crush her with his weight. A triumphant grin spread across her face and he couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You mean.. does it turn me on watching your body move like that?”

She raised her brows once suggestively in reply, those icy blue eyes practically twinkling with mischief. 

“Eva, you are a remarkably beautiful woman. If you were on top of me, completely naked, and I _didn’t_ get turned on.. I’d be a little concerned.” 

She laughed a little as she caressed up his chest and neck, those magical little fingers sliding beneath his mandibles as she leaned in to kiss him. Spirits, he really could not get enough of the kissing. A mere week ago, it was a completely unknown concept. Then.. he met Eva, and that pretty little mouth of hers that had piqued his curiosity so enticingly. What started off as a drunken experiment turned into something so much more, and he was fully converted from the moment their lips first met. 

He found a kiss could convey so many things, express so many emotions. The deep, passionate kind they so often indulged in.. that was a clear _‘I want you'_. The quick peck as he’d left her apartment; _‘I’ll be thinking about you’_. The way she was kissing him now.. her movements lingered, reluctant to let them end. Each press of the lips, every little tease with her tongue. Accompany that with her tightened grip on him.. he knew what this one meant. It meant; _‘I’m really gonna miss you’_. How did he know that? Because it was the same for him, too.

“Tell me what you want, Eva,” he said softly against her lips.

Her gaze danced across his features for the longest time before she finally spoke.

“I want your mark on me, Garrus,” she said quietly, her gaze unfaltering. 

His eyes blinked a few times in surprise. That was.. not at all what he was expecting to hear. 

“I don’t mean a bond mark, before you freak out on me..”

“It’s okay, I know what you meant,” he soothed. 

The fact she was even asking this of him, that _this_ is what she wanted.. it touched him deeply. The only problem was, last time he bit her, there was.. _something_.. he didn’t know what it was but, there was something in her blood. Something that had sent a raging heat surging through him, awakening every primal instinct that told him to fuck her like a turian and claim her for his own. Raw and hard, all teeth and talons. It had taken everything he had to fight it, and that was just from the tiniest taste. If he did it again, on purpose? There was a good chance he could lose control completely.

“Eva.. you asking that of me means more than you’ll ever know,” he said sincerely. He sighed a little, shaking his head. “But.. last time was dangerous, it took everything I had to stop myself before I took it too far. I’m sorry, but.. I just can’t. I can’t risk hurting you..”

“I’m tougher than I look, Blue.. but I do understand,” she said, a little sadly. “I just want something to remember this, ya know? In case we don’t..” 

He kissed her deeply, not willing to let her finish that sentence.

“We _will_ ,” he insisted, delicately stroking his thumb across her cheek.

“Who knows how long we’re gonna have to wait, Garrus,” she said solemnly, those crystal blue eyes almost staring through his own. “Months? ..a year? Maybe even more than that. We have no idea what’s gonna happen. I just..” 

She looked away, feeling a little too vulnerable. Spirits, this was so damn hard. She was right, who knows when they’d be able to think about being like this again. Wishful thinking had convinced him it would be a couple of months, maybe a little more.. but, they really had no idea how things were going to play out. Doing this.. it could be for both of them. A secret promise of what’s waiting for them when the dust finally settles.

“I know,” he said finally, resting his forehead against hers. “Alright, look.. if we’re gonna do this, we need to handle it _very_ carefully. Do you understand? This is serious.” 

He felt her nodding against him in reply.

“I do,” she said quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he said hesitantly. “..where would you like me to do it?” 

“Somewhere hidden,” she said softly. “Somewhere only I’ll be able to see.”

“Well.." he pondered, nuzzling into her neck. “How about..”

His hand stroked its way down her body until he reached her centre, unable to resist the urge to linger a moment. Just a gentle tease through her wetness, enough to bring a soft little moan out of her. He brought his hand away, caressing her inner thigh before giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“..here?” he finished.

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled, nodding her head. “Yeah, I like that.”

“This won’t be like last time, Eva..” he warned. “I'm gonna have to bite deep for the mark to last.”

“I can take it,” she soothed. “I promise.”

He exhaled heavily, shaking his head in defeat.

“Spirits,” he huffed. “Will I ever be able to say no to you?” 

“I don’t know.. I hope not,” she teased, smiling softly at him. 

He leaned in to take her lips eagerly, their movements slow and desperate, trying to express the things they were both too afraid to say. When he finally pulled away, he lowered himself down the bed, his lips following the dips and curves of her body like a satin smooth path, leading him to her centre.

She hooked her legs over his shoulders as he settled between her thighs, the delectable scent of her arousal already making his head spin. Spirits, it was intoxicating. He was dying to taste her again. He lightly nibbled at the velvety skin of her inner thigh, feeling her immediately tensing beneath him.

“I need to make sure you’re ready first,” he said softly, sliding his fingers through her folds. “Once I do this, I’m not gonna be able to hold back..” 

“You won’t hear me complaining,” she hummed, sighing blissfully as he played with her a little more. 

“I figured as much,” he chuckled. 

Her breath hitched the instant his tongue made contact, leisurely gliding over her soft, wet pussy and her little rosy bud in one fell swoop. Spirits, the taste of her was almost addictive, leaving him instantly craving more. Luckily, there was plenty for the taking. He pressed his mouth plates into the soft cushion of her folds, hungrily consuming every drop of her wetness. Her _ohhs_ and _ahhs_ of pleasure filled the room as his tongue teased through her opening, the sight of her clutching her breasts in her lustful state making his chest rumble. She was so hot and wet inside, and softer than he could have possibly imagined. By now, he’d committed her little sweet spots to memory, fluttering the tip of his tongue across each one as he gradually explored deeper. 

“Oh god, Garrus,” she breathed, rolling into his movements. "That feels so fucking good."

Her legs fell open as wide as they could go, offering herself willingly to him. Such a submissive act for someone with such tenacious fire. She had no idea how much it effected him. He slid his tongue out of her and a pleasured yelp escaped her as his finger took its place. He had to take his time here, she was so fucking tight anyway but, even more so now after everything they’d done in the early hours. Spirits, he’d made her cum so many damn times, he’d started to lose count. 

_As soon as we can do this again, I am **definitely** setting up a counter for that on my visor,_ he thought to himself mischievously.

He opened her up to him gradually, waiting each time for her body to adjust before teasing his way out and then delving a little deeper. Her breaths started getting heavier, her body gripping onto him from every angle as she sneakily tried to coax him in further. 

“Spirits, I love watching this,” he rumbled, admiring her pussy slowly taking his finger. “You’re always so greedy for more, it’s so fucking sexy.” 

“You just feel so good inside me, Big Guy,” she purred in that sultry, smokey voice. “I want all of it.”

A lustful rumble emanated from his chest as he wrapped his mouth around her delicious little bud, gently sucking and teasing with his tongue while he thoroughly fucked her with his finger. As he did, she clung onto the pillow behind her, shamelessly moaning with each move he made. He’d never been one to dwell much on foreplay before. Didn’t really see the point. His approach to sex was like that of a mission; get in, get the job done, get out. But, with Eva? He’d be more than happy just tasting and playing with her all damn day to listen to those sexy little sounds she made. 

After a while, she was finally ready for him. Now so damn wet that, even as tight as she was, he was gliding in and out of her with ease. He teased her little bud with light flicks of his tongue, feeling her pussy clench around him as she neared her release. He stopped before she could get there, planting gentle kisses across the inside of her thigh. 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked softly, stroking across her skin. 

She raised herself up to look at him and his cock throbbed at the sight of her. Her shapely breasts rising and falling with her deep breaths, her nipples standing in firm peaks in her aroused state. Her eyelids were slightly hooded and that alluring flush adorned her cheeks. Spirits, she genuinely was the sexiest creature he’d ever seen. 

“I've never been more sure of anything, Blue.”

He didn’t want to admit it but, he wanted this too. Risky though it may be. These next few months, or however long they’d have to wait.. they were going to be painful. Being so close to her, unable to touch her or kiss her. Quietly knowing his mark was there.. well, it would make everything feel a little less permanent. That didn’t make this next part any less concerning, however. 

_If this goes wrong, you could blow your chances with her for good._

“Eva, you don’t understand what this is bring out in me,” he said anxiously. “I could never forgive myself if I hurt you..”

“Come here,” she said softly, sitting up straight. 

He complied, raising himself up to meet her and she leaned in, gently pressing her lips to his. 

“I trust you, Garrus,” she soothed, stroking the hide of his neck. “But, I won’t push you. I’m not gonna make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

He looked into those big blue eyes as she gave him that genuine smile. Spirits, she was so damn beautiful. She took his breath away every time he looked at her. Eva wanting this.. it meant that she was prepared to wait for him. However long it takes. A woman like _her_ was ready to wait, indefinitely, for a guy like him. Spirits, how the hell could he refuse?

“No, I.. I want this,” he admitted. “I know I shouldn’t but, I do..”

She smiled softly at him, taking his lips in a slow embrace. From gazing at him with nought but pure desire, to sweetly nurturing him the instant she felt he needed it. She really was something else.

“If I start to lose control, you do whatever you have to, you hear me?” he urged. "I mean it, Eva."

“I don’t think it’ll come to that, Blue,” she insisted. “But I’ll keep it in mind.” 

“Okay,” he said finally, straightening up a little. “Well, get yourself comfortable.. this is gonna sting.” 

She moved to the head of the bed, adjusting the pillows a little before she sat back against the headboard, beckoning him with her knees tucked up and legs spread wide. 

“Spirits, you look so fucking hot like that,” he growled. 

“Well, come and get me then,” she purred with a cheeky smile.

His cock throbbed at her playful, seductive tone and he immediately closed the distance, claiming her mouth hungrily as he cupped her breast, firmly massaging her nipple with his thumb. His hand trailed down her stomach, his talons flexing a little at the feel of those tight abs beneath her skin. You could easily tell she was a fighter. She may be tiny but, spirits, she was all muscle under the surface. As he reached her deliciously wet centre, he slid his finger inside her and she took it all gladly, moaning softly into his mouth. 

“I’ll wait until you cum for me,” he rumbled. “If I time it right, it should take the edge off the pain.”

“You’re not gonna have to wait long..” she said breathlessly.

“I know,” he purred. “I can feel how close you are.” 

Each time he slid inside her, he twirled his finger slightly to stimulate as many of her sweet spots as he could in one hit. The delectable warmth of her centre began to tighten and clench all over him, soft little hands desperately grabbing at him as she teetered on the edge. 

“Garrus..” she urged, a little breathless.

“I know, gorgeous,” he rumbled. “Alright, here we go. Brace yourself..”

He wrapped his free hand around her leg, readying himself as he took the soft, delicate skin of her thigh in his mouth. He slid his finger out of her, rubbing her little bud in firm circles until she cried out and trembled through the first wave of her orgasm.

 _You gotta keep it together here,_ he thought to himself. _Focus._

With that, he pulled himself together, shut his eyes tight, and bit down hard enough for the mark to take. Spirits, did she scream. Overwhelmed by the combined sensations of her powerful orgasm and the crippling pain of his teeth puncturing deep into her flesh. He wrapped his arm around her and held her tight, hoping it would help her through it. 

The instant he got a taste of her, he felt it with a fucking vengeance. That pure hit of adrenaline and electricity racing through him. As though her blood were laced with stims specifically made for him. All he could think about now was his deep, insatiable need to fuck her. Claim her. Take her with everything he fucking had. He had to try and fight it but, spirits, he didn't know if he could. 

Out of nowhere, he felt a familiar static energy tingling across his plates and hide as a glow began to peer through his closed eyelids. His eyes opened amidst a bright aura, and he finally tore his mouth away to look at her.

_Spirits.._

Surrounding her were those same vibrant, purple flames he’d seen back at the facility. The energy radiating off her.. spirits, it felt so intense. Like the atmosphere of a tropical climate pulling at your chest. He’d never experienced anything like it. She sat there with her head hung a little, hiding her face beneath her hands, and a wave of concern washed over him. 

“Eva.. are you okay?” 

This.. this he didn't see coming. Whilst his body was still so damn pent up and dying to fuck her, the sight of her like this had instantly awakened his other primal instincts. Ones that compelled him to protect her. Make his only priority to keep her safe. Spirits, it was so strong, he'd never felt this before. The fact that he was even feeling it all was a little terrifying.

_Spirits, don't think about it now. Your head is spinning enough already._

“I’m sorry,” came her slightly muffled voice. “I didn’t want you to see me like this..”

“I _have_ seen you like this before, remember?” he said, a little confused.

“No, Garrus.. you haven’t.”

“Eva, I'm not gonna lie, you're kinda freaking me out here," he said anxiously. "What the hell is going on?"

He watched her chest rise and fall with her rapid, panting breaths, still feeling the twinges of pain and the pleasured waves of her climax.

"God, alright," she said in defeat. "Just.. try to keep an open mind here, okay?" 

As she tentatively brought her hands away, she looked at him with eyes that were no longer the icy blue he’d become so familiar with. Instead, they were a vivid, lavender shade that seemed to twinkle like starlight. 

“Spirits, Eva..” he exclaimed.

As he looked closer, he could see there were little ripples swirling through her irises, like the reflection of the ocean dancing across the seabed. They were.. hypnotising. 

“..you’re not a typical biotic, are you? That’s why I can’t smell it on you..”

She encouraged him to get to his knees, with her following suit. Barely even flinching from the fresh wound still trickling blood down her thigh. Her hands stroked up his chest, those lilac flames surrounding her seeping through his plates like energising vibrations. In this state, he was hypersensitive to even the slightest touch. And now that he knew she was okay.. a biotic fucking enigma maybe but, okay nonetheless.. there was only one thing on his mind. 

“No,” she admitted. “I’m not. I’m sorry, Garrus. You biting me like that felt so fucking intense and it just kinda brought it of me. This isn’t exactly how I pictured you finding out..”

Spirits, he had absolutely no idea what was going on. With the taste of her blood still in his mouth and the scent of it all around him, it was hard to think clearly. But, whatever the hell she was, he honestly didn’t care right now. She was safe, that's all that mattered. Now, he just wanted to pin her the fuck down and screw the damn crap out of her. 

“Look, Eva. As much as I wanna understand what the hell is going on here, I just..” he huffed, shaking his head erratically. “I can’t think straight like this.” 

He felt so damn tense. His chest puffed with his heavy breaths, his fists clenched so tight that his talons were almost piercing through his palms. She delicately pressed her lips to his, her touch leaving buzzing tingles in its wake. Spirits, it wasn’t helping.

“Garrus.. I don’t expect you to understand right now but, this actually works in our favour,” she explained. 

She stroked down his arms, urging him to relax his hands as she guided them to rest on her hips. Spirits, she was buzzing with energy. His talons flexed into her skin the second they made contact, the mere feel of her drawing him ever closer to losing it. He watched her chew her bottom lip, turned on by the sensation of his talons searing across her skin. Fuck, he loved that look on her. 

“I’m much stronger like this,” she said quietly, caressing across his plates. “You don’t have to fight it, Garrus. I can feel how much you want me.. just let it out and fuck me.” 

_Alright, I think we’re done talking now._

“Turn around,” he snarled. “Now.”

Her brows raised at his demanding tone, her lips cocking at the sides. 

“Atta boy _,_ ” she purred, winking at him as she turned to face the other way. 

The second her back was to him, he went in for the kill, tackling her onto her front and trapping her beneath him. She had her legs spread wide and ass in the air, completely at his mercy. Right where he fucking wanted her. As he held her, he could feel her biotic energy shooting all the way through him. Like tiny sparks of electricity, supercharging his every nerve and muscle at once.

“Spirits,” he growled, overwhelmed by the sensation. “What are you, Eva? Really?”

She glanced over her shoulder, smirking away. 

“Right now.. I’m all yours, Garrus,” she purred, wiggling her ass against him. 

_Spirits, she’s driving me fucking crazy here._

“Yeah,” he growled, straightening himself up onto his knees. “You’re damn right about that.”

He held her steady as he urged his cock through her opening and buried himself inside her with one hard slam of his hips. An almighty roar erupted from his chest at the sudden rush, with Eva crying out just as fiercely. Spirits, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He needed more. Needed to fill her and fuck her again and again. And with that, he gripped her hips so fucking tight and drove into her senselessly. Nothing short of the damn ship catching fire was going to stop him now. 

His burning need for her only grew as he fucked her, the sight of her clinging desperately to the sheets and the sound of her lustful cries driving him wild. It was all hard, fast and rampant. Driving into her relentlessly, showing her the true meaning of turian stamina. A bestial, hot-blooded growl lingered in his chest as his eyes travelled up Eva's body. Spirits knows she had a face that could knock you for six but, damn, taking her from behind made for a fucking spectacular view. With her chest laid flat and her ass in the air, it accentuated the curves of her hips and her slinky little waist in all the right ways. She looked fucking immaculate from every damn angle.

After a while, he switched the tempo from hard and fast to slow and deep. Taking his time to savour each sensation as he teasingly eased his way out of her, only to slam his hips and fill her again in one swift hit. Each time he would slide out of her, that aura around her tingled all over his length in unspeakable ways, feeling both strange and incredible in equal measure. His hands left her hips, moving down to the full curves of her ass, firmly squeezing those delectably cushioned cheeks. 

“You’ve got an amazing ass, you know that?” he growled, flexing his talons into her soft skin. 

He smacked one of her ass cheeks to make a point and she moaned lewdly in reply.

“Oh, you like that, huh?”

“Fuck yes,” she breathed. “Do it again.” 

He did it harder, chuckling deviously as she cried out even louder. He spread her cheeks a little to get a clear view of their joining, getting even more turned on by the sight of her body taking his length so greedily. 

“You know, Eva,” he rumbled. “If I didn’t know any better.. I’d say you like it when I’m a little rougher with you.” 

He dragged his talons down her back, using enough pressure to slightly pierce through her skin. The aura around her got brighter and stronger as she hissed in a breath of pleasurable pain, her body bowing beneath his touch. Yeah, she _definitely_ liked it.

“Fuck, Garrus, of course I do. It makes me horny as hell,” she whined, writhing beneath him. “There’s something insanely hot about fucking a guy who could tear you apart with his bare hands..”

She paused for a moment, quietly chuckling to herself. 

“Well.. most of the time, anyway," she said deviously.

“Most of the time?” he rumbled, thrusting deep inside her. 

She yelped in delight as his cock brushed against that wall inside her. Smirking as she raised herself up on all fours, glancing over her shoulder with fire in those stunning lilac eyes. 

“You're certainly welcome to try while I’m like this, Big Guy..” she said enticingly. “But I wouldn’t recommend it.” 

Spirits, she was like a succubus hidden in the body of an angel. Goading and challenging him all the damn time. He fucking loved it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her upright to rest against him. 

“Is that so?” he rumbled, sweeping her hair to the side to nip at her throat. 

“Mmhmm,” she sighed, resting her head against his chest. 

“Interesting..” he purred, slowly rocking his hips into her. “We’ve spoken before about turians being apex-predators, right?” 

“We have,” she breathed, rolling into his movements. 

“Right,” he rumbled. “Eva, do you see these?” 

He held his free hand in front of them, twiddling his fingers to show off his talons. 

“Uh huh.”

“Well..” he purred. “These have evolved to be the perfect tools for two things; _fucking_..”

He paused to trace his talons all over her body, little shivers rippling through her each time he teased across a particularly sensitive spot. 

“..and _killing_ ,” he finished, satisfied that he’d made his point. “Now.. are you _sure_ you wouldn’t recommend it?”

“Positive,” she hummed, sounding completely unphased. 

Spirits, this was so fucking hot. He was hard as stone inside her, loving every damn minute. His free hand slowly caressed down her body, from her breasts all the way down to their joining. His fingers glided over her little bud teasingly and she let out those sexy little whimpers with each delicate touch.

“ _Really?_ ” he rumbled. “And.. why is that, exactly?”

She let out a quiet, sexy little laugh, raising herself off his length until his cock nestled in the warmth between her thighs. He felt her hips starting to move, her wetness gliding along his length ever so slowly. Each time one of the ridges along his shaft brushed against her little bud, she would hiss in a breath or moan softly in his ear. She started stroking the arm he had wrapped around her waist, one of her hands moving to hold his own as the other crept up towards his shoulder.

“Well..” she whispered.

She moved like a flash, grabbing hold of his arm and throwing him onto his back. Before he could even process what had happened, she was already climbing on top of him to straddle him. Her fingers interlocked with his own, pinning his hands down either side of his head. He experimentally tried to shake her grip but, spirits, she was so damn strong. He couldn’t even move. She smirked a little as she leaned in close, tingling vibrations wracking through him everywhere as she pressed her body into him and teased her tongue into his mouth.

“..because you wouldn’t last long,” she finished, her words dripping with lust.

“Spirits,” he growled, shaking his head. “This is turning me on a lot more than it probably should.”

“I guess I’m not the only one who likes it rough, huh?” she whispered into his ear.

He felt her blunt little teeth tug at his mandible as she released her grip on him to sit up straight. She raised herself up onto her knees, artfully pumping his length before taking him inside her again. 

“Oh, fuck,” he hissed, feeling those intriguing biotic tingles all over his cock.

Soft hands gripped onto his thighs as she leaned back and started rocking her hips in deep, coiling movements. He watched her with a burning hunger, his cock throbbing at the sight of her sexy little form riding his length so delectably. His focus drifted to the bite on the inside of her thigh, clearly visible with her astride him like this. Spirits, it turned him on to no end. 

“You like it, don’t you?” she purred, having noticed his distraction.

“Spirits, that’s putting it mildly,” he growled.

His hands glided up her stomach to clutch at her breasts, teasing the hardened peaks of her nipples between his fingers. He knew she loved it when he focused his attention on them, always reacting so strongly to every touch. Considering he just wanted to play with them all the damn time anyway, it was a mutually beneficial thing. Her head lulled back in sheer bliss, the tingles radiating from her aura only getting stronger as her lust grew.

“Uh.. Eva, if that little, uh.. ‘ _glow’_ of yours sticks around much longer, I really _won’t_ last long,” he admitted. “It feels a little _too_ good. Can you.. I dunno.. switch it off?”

“Oh.. yeah,” she chuckled, sitting up straight. “Sorry.”

She closed her eyes as if she were trying to focus. Moments later, the lavender glow surrounding her began to shrink until her skin seemed to absorb it completely. When she opened her eyes again, they were even more vibrant than before, the shimmer inside them swirling like chaotic whirlpools.

“Better?”

“Spirits,” he gasped, sitting up to meet her.

His hand cupped her jaw as he studied her eyes in genuine fascination. It was the strangest thing he’d ever seen but, spirits, they were beautiful. 

“I feel like I understand you less and less every day,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Have you always been like this?”

“Ever since I can remember..” 

“What.. I mean.. what is it?”

“I don’t really know,” she admitted, stroking up his chest. “Maybe I was just made to be able to handle a hot, rugged turian in bed." 

“Mmm, good answer,” he purred, leaning in to kiss her. 

He felt her smile against his lips as she gripped onto his shoulders and started gently rolling into him. Now that she wasn’t constantly buzzing with energy, he could finally feel her properly. No vibrating tingles, just the pure, silky softness of her skin. There was nothing quite like it. He pulled her tight against him as his hands explored her eagerly. 

Before long, their lips were crashing together hungrily as she rode him like the little sex demon she was. His hands cupped her ass, flexing his talons into her skin each time he lifted her up his length. Just when it got to the point where they were fucking hard and rampant, she suddenly switched, easing back down to a steady pace. She wrapped her arms around him, planting feather-light kisses along his neck. 

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern.

“Yeah," she mumbled, that hint of sadness back in her tone. "I just don’t want this to end yet."

Spirits, neither did he. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he pressed his lips to her shoulder. 

“Me either, gorgeous,” he sighed. 

“Can we just enjoy this for a while?” 

“Can we carry on having sex for as long as possible? Yeah, I think I can live with that,” he teased.

“You’re such an ass, Vakarian,” she snorted, chuckling against him. 

“Maybe,” he chirped. “Made you smile though.”

When she leaned back to look at him, her eyes had returned to their beautiful shade of blue and he felt a warmth flood through him at the sight of her back to her usual self. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. 

“I have to say; out of all the eye colours I’ve seen you have.. which, let’s be honest, is a lot for one person,” he teased, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Blue is _definitely_ my favourite.” 

She laughed a little, gently rolling her hips as she leaned in to kiss him. She rested her forehead against his, quietly sighing as she closed her eyes. 

“I’m really gonna miss this, Garrus.” 

“Yeah, me too,” he said softly. “But, as soon as we can be like this again.. spirits, I am gonna fuck you so damn hard.” 

He felt her body clench around his cock in response and he couldn’t help but laugh a little. 

“Oh, like that, did you?” he purred.

“Like you wouldn’t believe, Big Guy,” she said in that seductive tone, her words punctuated by a deep roll of her hips. 

They carried on like that for as long as they could. Slow, sensual kisses. Longing, eager caresses. Cherishing each sensation as she gently rode his length. Still feeling every bit as incredible but, desperate to treasure this last time for as long as possible. Eventually, though, they knew this encounter needed it’s crescendo. 

With that, Garrus held her tight and flipped them over, staying buried inside her as he laid her on her back. He raised himself up onto his knees, stroking along her thigh until he reached her little rosy bud and starting teasing her with his thumb. A growl rumbled in his chest as he watched her. Those blunt little teeth chewing her bottom lip, her breasts bouncing with each deep thrust inside her. Spirits, he was so fucking close, his cock practically aching to fill her with every last drop of his lust. She was almost there, too. He could feel it. Her pussy tightened around him like a heartbeat, well and truly lost in the feeling of being fucked and played with at the same time.

“You ready to cum for me, gorgeous?” he purred.

“Christ, yes,” she yelped. “Fuck, it’s too much, Garrus. I can’t..”

He laid himself down on top of her, claiming her mouth passionately and tangling his hands amongst her hair. She instantly wrapped herself around him, clinging on for dear life as he thrust into her hard and fast. They were nothing short of frantic, their moans and breaths getting heavier as they neared the brink. 

She cried out his name as she met her frenzied orgasm, the feel of her spasming around him so intensley driving him to his own end. The roar it brought of him was nothing short of ferocious, endless hot waves rushing out of him and flooding her completely. It blew his fucking mind. They’d teetered on the edge so many times, denying themselves their release only to come right back up again. It hadn't been easy by any means but, they wanted this last time to him them like a freight train.. and fuck, didn't it just. Their tongues twirled together as they rode out their overwhelmingly powerful and particularly lengthy climax. Both of them grabbing at each other urgently, feeling so hot and needy and riled up.

When they finally started to calm, they stayed like that for the longest time as they tried to catch their breath. Simply basking in the afterglow, their lips rarely parting except to whisper sweet nothings to each other, their hands leaving gentle touches wherever they could. 

“Spirits,” Garrus eventually panted, still a little short for breath. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

“Talk about going out with a bang, huh?” Eva teased breathlessly.

They both laughed at that, completely blown away by the unbelievable experience they’d just shared. He planted kisses across her sweat soaked skin as he reluctantly slid out of her, their breath hitching at each little sensation as he did. He stayed knelt between her thighs, admiring every entrancing inch of her while he still could. 

“You are _so_ beautiful,” he said softly. 

She gave him a tender smile. 

“So are you, Big Guy,” she said sincerely.

His gaze drifted to the wound on her thigh, a little surprised to see it was no longer bleeding. He had no idea humans healed so quickly. 

“How does it feel?” he asked, gently stroking his thumb near the tender skin. 

“Well, I’m still on a ‘crazy hot sex' high right now so, it feels pretty good,” she tittered. “We’ll see what happens when I crash.”

“Good,” he chuckled, inspecting it a little closer. “Just make sure to keep it clean, maybe bandage it when you’re wearing armour. Other than that, it should heal nicely.” 

He took a quick glance around, only just noticing the red stains dotted all over the bed now the blood had returned to his brain. 

“You, uh.. might wanna change your sheets as well,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry about that.” 

Her eyes danced across the bed and she laughed a little, having been too far gone herself to notice. She sat upright and edged a little closer, smiling that smile of hers.

“You’ve got nothing to apologise for, Blue,” she said sincerely. “If anything, I should be the one saying sorry for, well.. you know. Not exactly how I wanted you to find out.”

Well, he was glad that she'd brought it up because he had no idea how to approach that one. He laid down on his side next to her, encouraging her to join him. She accepted gladly, using his arm as a pillow as she rested her legs over his. His hand moved to rest on her stomach instinctually, him barely even realising until it was already there. It was crazy how quickly they'd come to be so comfortable like this. It was hard to believe they didn't even know each other a week ago. 

“Yeahhh.. about that,” he mused. “What’s the story there? I was far too preoccupied at the time but.. I am _very_ curious.” 

She huffed out a breath, her eyes dancing across the ceiling as she tried to work out where to even start. 

“I, uh.. I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “My biotics are just.. different.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” he teased. “I’ve never felt a biotic energy that strong before. And.. your eyes? The way you manipulate it? How does that work? I’ve seen how normal biotics use their powers. There’s always hand gestures or something but, you didn’t even move..”

“Oh boy, those are two very different questions with kinda complicated answers. Which one do you want me to answer first?” 

“Hmmm..” he mused, caressing across her skin. “Alright, how do you use it?" 

“Well,” she began. “I guess I just think about what I want it to do, and it happens. It's not specific skills like a Warp or a Singularity. I mean.. I can do them, I just.. don’t really need to. I dunno, it’s hard to explain.. it’s probably easier if I just show you.”

_Spirits, she’s not gonna hurl me across the room or something, is she?_

“Uh..”

“Relax,” she chuckled. “Just watch..”

He anxiously waited to see exactly what it was she was planning on doing, watching as she cupped her hands together in front of her as if to make a little bowl. Almost instantly, an orb of bright, biotic energy appeared, hovering just above. Spirits, even that felt intense. He could feel those tingles all over again. Suddenly, she blew a puff of air at the orb and it scattered throughout the space, splitting into pieces no larger than a bullet. As they spread out, they all morphed into little biotic winged creatures, fluttering around the room independently. It was.. incredible.

“Pretty cool, huh?” she beamed.

“Spirits,” he gasped, a little distracted. “Cool doesn’t quite begin to cover it, Eva.. what are they?” 

“Butterflies,” she explained. “They used to be pretty common back on Earth. They come in all different colours and sizes, and they have these beautiful, intricate patterns on their wings. Obviously these ones are just blobs of purple but, yeah..” 

He looked around in awe at the little creatures fluttering throughout the room, his subharmonics chirruping curiously. He knew instantly that she'd heard him when she started giggling to herself. 

“Want me to show you something else?” 

“Definitely,” he beamed. 

With that, she flashed him a wicked grin before closing her eyes to focus. As she did, the little butterflies began gravitating towards one another until they’d all merged back into one biotic mass. It swirled around frantically until it’s shape started to take form.. shifting into a four legged, winged creature, flapping it’s biotic wings before soaring throughout the room. It opened its jaws wide, a burst of biotic energy hissing out of its mouth like a lavender flame. Spirits, this was ridiculous. Part of him was convinced he must have dozed off from the post-sex high and that this was all just a weird dream. But, as soon as the creature flew towards them, he could feel the powerful energy radiating off it. This was definitely real. The creature perched itself in Eva’s hands, flapping its wings a little as it settled.

“ _This_ is a dragon,” she said boldly, grinning away. “They’re renown mythical creatures in human lore. They breathe fire, hoard treasure. But.. they’re usually much bigger than this little guy. Probably about the size of the ship. They’re so fucking cool, I always wanted to be one when I was a kid..” 

“You wanted to be one of these?” he asked amusingly. “You know what.. I’m actually not surprised. Explains why you’re so damn fiery.” 

“Damn right,” she teased. “Just picture it.. flying around wherever you wanna go, completely free. Stealing treasure and fair maidens, with the power to set your enemies ablaze like a living flamethrower.. so bad ass.”

“Alright,” he chuckled. “That does sound pretty fun.” 

“Told ya,” she shrugged, smirking a little. 

His curiosity got the better of him as it always did, and his hand left her stomach, cautiously reaching out to touch the creature. 

“May I?”

“Of course,” she tittered. “He’s not real, Blue. It’s just energy.” 

As his fingers moved through its form, he let out a short laugh, still half expecting the damn thing to bite him or something. It looked so real but, she was right, there was nothing physically there. Only the feel of those buzzing tingles all over his hand. 

“Shouldn’t this hurt?” he asked curiously.

“Only if I wanted it to,” she said casually, as if it was just a normal, everyday thing. 

“This is insane, Eva..” 

“Tell me about it,” she chuckled. “Alright, one more..”

The creature flapped it’s wings and flew off towards the end of the bed, swirling back into an orb before splitting into two smaller ones. He quietly chuckled to himself as they began to take their shape, recognising their familiar forms instantly. Though they did look a little.. different. Both stood in bold, majestic poses and donning strange attire. 

“Spirits, why am I wearing a blanket?” he asked, looking at the strange thing billowing around the mini turian's form.

“It’s not a blanket, you donut," she chuckled. “It's a cape. You’re Batman, and I’m Catwoman.”

“Is this another one of those comic book things you were showing me?” 

“Why, yes it is, Blue,” she chirped. “Well done, I’m impressed. Batman’s awesome.. handsome, rich bachelor by day.. masked, crime fighting vigilante by night. He has all these insane gadgets and stuff. You’d like him.” 

Looking at her, you wouldn’t think she’d be the type of woman to be interested in such things. Seeing how excitable she got when she spoke of them, it was quite adorable. 

“See, why couldn’t you have shown me _that_ instead of the big, angry, green guy?”

“Hey, don’t diss the Hulk, Big Guy,” she scolded mockingly, pointing an accusing finger in his face. “You won’t like him when he’s angry.” 

“Spirits, you’re so weird,” he chuckled. 

His gaze drifted back to their mini biotic selves lingering at the foot of the bed, smiling to himself as he watched them. He’d never seen biotics used for anything other than combat. Seeing them used like this.. it had a serene kind of beauty to it. To be honest, he wondered if anyone else _would_ think to use them for something like this. His peculiar little human was one of a kind. 

“They look good together,” he purred, stroking along her waist. 

She followed his line of sight, a gentle smile upon her lips. 

“Hmm.. they do, don’t they?” she said softly.

Her demeanour shifted, shrinking in on herself a little in her solemn state. With that, her little creations evaporated into tiny sparkling specks before trickling down and eventually fading away. He didn’t say anything, simply pulling her close and holding her tight as he nuzzled into her hair. He understood. More than that, he felt the same damn way. 

“What did you mean when you said you can’t smell me?” she asked finally.

“Oh.. well, turians can smell the eezo in a biotic's scent,” he explained, stroking along her waist. “The stronger it is, the stronger the biotic.. which is why I’m still not entirely sure why I can’t smell it on you..”

“I think I might know,” she offered, her fingers stroking across his arm carelessly. “But, it kinda ties in to your other question and, honestly? I’m not sure whether you’ll believe me.”

“Try me,” he purred. 

She swept her hair over her shoulder, watching her fingers at work as they fiddled with the ends. He knew her well enough by now to recognise this little anxious tick. 

“Okay..” she said hesitantly. “So, you know how biotics need an amp to use their powers?”

He didn’t say anything, simply nodding in reply so she could continue. 

“Well.. I don’t,” she admitted. “I _do_ have an amp but, it does the opposite to what a usual one would.”

“So, what.. it _stops_ you from using them?”

“Uh.. not quite, it just.. reigns them in, I guess? It's called a Bio-Lock; stops me from burning out or losing control from tapping into too much power. I can tweak its settings to allow myself more if I need to but, it’s capped pretty low. Anything above that is dangerous.”

“And when I bit you it.. what.. switched off or something?”

“No, Blue,” she sighed. “This is what I’m trying to tell you. It was on the whole time.. and I always have it on the lowest possible setting.”

_Oh spirits.._

“You’re kidding?” he asked in disbelief.

She shook her head, her fingers fiddling more erratically as her anxiety grew. He did as he had done before, taking her hand in his own to help her calm down. She smiled softly at him, her fingers stroking across his hand instead of fidgeting restlessly. Spirits, if what he saw was just a fraction of what she could really do, just how powerful was she?

“Anyway..” she said after a while. “I would imagine that’s why you can’t smell my biotics. If my Bio-Lock blocks my power, maybe it does the same for my scent? I dunno.. you’d have to ask Mordin.” 

“..Mordin?”

“Uh.. yeah,” she said vaguely. “He made this amp for me. The one I had before was.. _temperamental_ , shall we say. It was meant to just block everything completely but, under certain circumstances it.. breaks free.”

“Like when you’re in pain,” he said solemnly, mandibles pulling tight against his face.

“What? No..” she insisted.

Those icy blue eyes gazed softly at him as her warm little fingers came to rest against his cheek. 

“Garrus.. that is _not_ what brought it out of me, okay? I promise.”

Well, if it wasn’t pain, then.. 

“Eva.. are you saying what I think you are?” he purred, feeling a little smug.

“Ugh.. yes, okay?” she sulked. “Look, don’t get me wrong.. that bite _hurt_ but, I dunno.. you made me cum _so_ fucking hard, then you bit me and it hurt but it also felt kinda great and it all just hit me..”

The more she rambled, the more he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Jesus, I sound like a damn nutbar,” she huffed, shaking her head. “And you don’t have to look so proud of yourself there, Big Guy.” 

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “But you did basically just tell me I made you so damn horny that you turned into some sort of biotic goddess. I’m allowed to be at least a little proud.. and maybe a little turned on.” 

“Well, just be careful,” she warned. “That smug grin gets any bigger and a certain biotic goddess might just have to wipe it off your face.” 

_She sure is cute when she’s feisty,_ he thought to himself amusingly. _Like an angry pup._

“I love it when you talk dirty,” he teased. 

She nudged him with her elbow and he laughed a little, even more so when he saw that little smile spread across her face.

“Alright, so.. other than devilishly handsome turians turning you on,” he said teasingly. “What else makes you.. you know..”

“Before today, there was only one thing.. anger,” she said severely. “I’ve always been pretty good at controlling my emotions and my powers but, there have been a couple of times in my life where I’ve lost control.” 

“..what happened?”

Her eyes searched his features for long moments, a slight glaze coating them as if they were fighting back tears. Whatever these times were, they can’t have fond memories attached.

“It’s a long story,” she said quietly. “I don’t imagine we have much time left, Garrus. Can we just.. you know..” 

She didn’t need to say anymore. He kissed her deeply, more than happy to spend the last of their time together simply just being. So, that’s what they did. She curled up into him as he ran his fingers through her snowy hair, telling her tales of his time on the Invictus and his friends amongst their crew that she’d soon be meeting. After a while, they were simply enjoying speaking of the little things. Favourite games. Favourite movies. Quickly realising that they had even more in common than they’d first thought. In fact, it was starting to seem like she was just a female, human version of him. 

But, the time that they’d both been dreading had come around all too soon. Time to walk out that door and put all this behind them indefinitely. He’d gotten himself dressed and popped his visor back in its rightful place, walking over to the coffee table where Eva stood rummaging through her bag. Still incredibly nude, and bent over ever so nicely.

_Spirits, I might just put a deadlock on that door myself.._

She mumbled nonsensical things to herself in between her bizarre little curses, apparently unsuccessfully searching for something. 

“Everything okay?” he chuckled, sitting himself down on the table beside her. 

He felt something under his ass and searched for the source of his discomfort, only to find a strange little rubbery cylinder about the size of her finger. 

“Yeah,” she huffed. “I just can’t find my.. aha!” 

In her hand was the source of her frustration; a bundle of red, sheer material with intricate little patterns on it. She quickly set about putting her feet through the holes, pulling up what he now realised was her underwear. She stood up straight, completely unashamed to still be almost naked before him. Mind you, looking the way she did.. her confidence was _completely_ justified. Spirits, she looked fucking good in red, too. 

_How mad would she be if I took a picture of her right now?_

Well, he never was one for playing it safe anyway. His visor snapped a sneaky shot of her as she stood there, looking stunningly statuesque. This would be _his_ little secret reminder.

_Well.. what she doesn’t know can’t hurt me._

“Eva.. what is this?” he asked curiously, holding up the rubber cylinder.

Her eyes widened as she saw it, a rosy flush spreading across her cheeks.

“That? Oh, well.. that is a.. uh.. bullet,” she mumbled awkwardly.

“This is definitely _not_ a bullet,” he chuckled. “If it is, I can’t imagine it packs much of a punch.”

“Ohhh.. it does,” she said, pulling on her beloved baggy jumper. “Believe me.”

He observed it curiously, finally noticing the little button on the top and instantly pressed it. Of course he did, it was a mystery button.. how could he resist? As soon as he did, the damn thing came to life, buzzing away in his hand. He pressed the button again, the constant buzzing changing to shorter bursts with breaks in between. He kept pressing through the settings, watching her blush more and more.

_Well, what do we have here?_

“Quite the little gadget you have here,” he purred. “It’s interesting that this is one of the _very_ few things you managed to unpack last night, Eva..” 

“Well, what can I say? I was horny and you left, so..”

He got to his feet and closed the distance, smirking away.

“I was barely out of the room for five minutes, Eva..” he teased. “You must have wanted me pretty damn bad.”

One of her brows raised at that, a devious smile spreading across her face as she sunk into her hip.

“Same could be said for you, Big Guy,” she countered. “You said it yourself, you were barely out of here for five minutes.” 

“Fair point,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just couldn’t leave it like that, you know? I just thought..”

“Garrus,” she interjected. “If you hadn’t come through that door, I would have come to find you anyway. Trust me.” 

“Is that right?” he purred, leaning in to press his lips to hers. 

“ _Definitely_ ,” she replied when they finally pulled away.

“Good,” he rumbled, running his talons through her hair. “Look, Eva.. before we go down to make introductions, we're both gonna need to shower..”

She smirked a little at that and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Spirits, don’t look at me like that or I’ll never leave,” he chuckled. “Unfortunately, that’s not what I meant, as much as I would love to. No, we’ll have to shower separately, I’m afraid. If we don’t, every turian on board is gonna know what we’ve been up to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, right now you've got my scent all over you.. and vice versa. They’ll know the second we get off that elevator.” 

“Oh.. yeah, I guess that does kinda complicate things.." 

“I know,” he sighed. “So.. how about you come to my room when you’re ready and then we’ll head down together?”

“Uh.. about that,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “If you don’t mind, I was thinking I might.. go and see Joker first. I’d like the chance to speak with him before chaos ensues.” 

“Of course,” he said sincerely. “In that case, I’ll be down in the Mess whenever you’re ready, alright?”

“Thanks, Blue,” she said softly, smiling up at him.

She walked him to her door, both of them wanting to say so many things, neither brave enough to do so. As they stopped by the entryway, big blue eyes gazed up at him, conveying much the same emotions that he felt.

“I had an incredible time, Garrus,” she said sincerely. “Thank you.”

He rested his hand against her cheek, stroking his thumb across her soft skin. She leaned into his touch, placing her delicate little hand atop his own. Fuck, he was going to miss this so damn much. 

“I can’t even put into words how amazing this was,” he said softly. “..I don’t know how long it’ll take for us to be like this again but, we _will_ be like this again, Eva. I can promise you that.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” she tittered, her voice breaking a little.

Spirits, seeing her upset had quickly become something he really didn't like to see. She had a smile that lit up the whole damn room and it felt darker without it. 

“Come here, gorgeous,” he soothed.

He leaned in to wrap his arms around her and she welcomed it gladly, cocooning herself amongst him. 

“I know this is gonna be hard for us,” he said, stroking through her silky locks. “But, anytime it gets a little too much, just look at your mark and remember what it means, alright? I’m still gonna be right beside you.. I’ll just have a lot more clothes on..”

They both laughed at that, enjoying the brief distraction from this solemn moment. When their eyes locked, he leaned in to take her lips in a slow, tender embrace. Just needing one last kiss to tide him over until he could feel her again. It was all desperate and passionate, neither of them wanting to let it end. When they did reluctantly pull away, he pressed his forehead to hers, willing his thoughts and feelings to transfer into her mind, knowing damn well he couldn’t bring himself to say them. 

“I’m sorry, Eva,” he said solemnly. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.” 

“Yeah.. me too, Big Guy,” she replied, sighing a little. 

He approached the door, his feet almost fighting against him with every step. As they hissed open, he huffed out a defeated sigh and stepped through the threshold. And just like that.. all bets were firmly back in place. 

“So.. I guess I’ll see you downstairs?” 

“Yeah.. I’ll wait for you,” he replied.

He didn’t just mean today. 

“I will too,” she said sincerely, smiling that smile of hers. 

The doors shut between them as she turned to walk deeper into her cabin, and just like that.. it was done. He ran his hand along the length of his fringe, feeling weighted down by the ache in his chest. They had to do this. They _had_ to. Last night, she’d all but confirmed that someone was after her. Knowing what she went through on Akuze and how freely she spoke of it.. then seeing how damn scared she was as he confessed his suspicions. Spirits, it had to be _bad_.

He was the one that brought her out of hiding. If they got caught and Eva got kicked off the project, she’d be on her own and vulnerable to whoever it was that wished her harm. Not on his fucking watch. They’d damn well have to get through him first. Now more than ever, he had to protect her. All he could do was hope that their reunion would come sooner rather than later. But.. that’s why they _needed_ to do this. He’d just have to remind himself of that every time he questioned his sanity for walking away. 

_You’re a damn fool, Vakarian,_ he thought to himself. _You never should have walked out that door.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Many. Emotions 😭 writing this chapter was so hard, I almost changed my mind about them so many times. Unfortunately this will be the last smut fest for a little while but, will they be able to stick to it for long? We'll see. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one, the next one should be finished quicker. As for Eva's little reveal, it's going to lead to some awesome things, I hope you're as excited to read them as I am to write them!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading this. I really appreciate it.


	12. Crap.. Busted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys 🙂 this is more of a filler chapter with some reunions, introductions and just some insight into their first mission together which will be the next chapter (yay!)
> 
> Again, it's a bit more slow paced but hopefully you'll enjoy it all the same.

_Where the hell is she? I thought she’d be here by now.._

His talons drummed against the table as he not so patiently waited. It had been almost two hours now since he’d walked out that door, though it felt like much longer. The events of the morning replayed through his mind on repeat, the commotion amongst the Mess and the chatter between his crewmates at the table practically dulled to a white noise. 

“..what about you, Garrus?” Kaidan asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

“Uh.. sorry,” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “What about me, what?” 

“Spirits, he always does this when he’s got something on his mind,” Raelus teased. “You’d have better luck talking to a chair sometimes. We’re talking about guns, Garrus. Specifically, which type is the best. Obviously, shotgun gets my vote..”

Now, _this_ was a topic that piqued his interest enough to keep him distracted for a time. He scoffed a little at Raelus' remark, propping his elbows up on the table to bring himself into the fold. 

“Not a chance,” Garrus boasted. “Shotguns are only useful from short range. Call me crazy but, I don’t like my enemy to live long enough to get that close to me.” 

“But, assault rifles make the best all rounder,” Alenko offered, taking a sip of his coffee. “Quicker firing rate, easier to wield..” 

“Anyone can use an assault rifle, Alenko. Hell, just hold down the trigger and spin around in circles and you’re bound to kill something eventually,” Garrus snickered. “Sniper rifles, however.. well, they take skill. You gotta line up those crosshairs perfectly, wait for just the right moment.. and then, **bam!** Your enemy's dead before they even knew you were there. Ain’t nothin’ like it.” 

“True,” Alenko conceded, popping his mug back down. “But, think about it this way..”

The biotic stopped in his tracks mid sentence, both he and Raelus' jaws practically falling open as their gaze fixed on something behind him. Garrus didn’t need to look. Her scent had hit him the second he’d heard those elevator doors open. 

“Holy shit,” Raelus gasped. “Is _that_ Shepard?”

Garrus turned in his chair, following their line of sight. Apparently Jenkins had already made a beeline for her, excitably making his introductions the instant she’d stepped out of the elevator. She looked.. different. Her hair was tied up high on the back of her head, with those luscious, white locks cascading down her back. Black N7 military casuals.. combat boots.. she looked like the soldier she really was and damn, did it look good on her. 

“That’s her,” Garrus hummed, only half turning back around in his chair. 

“Spirits,” Raelus purred, his mandibles fluttering a little as he nudged Kaidan’s arm. “Vega wasn’t exaggerating, was he?” 

“No, he wasn’t.. man, she’s gorgeous,” Alenko gushed.

Garrus kept on eye on her in his peripheral vision, waiting for Jenkins to eventually stop chewing her ear off but, by the looks of things, it could be a while. The boy's heart was in the right place but, spirits, was he a talker. 

“Her hair’s beautiful, don’t you think?” Kaidan cooed. “It’s so unusual..” 

Spirits, he’d done his best to prepare himself for this. Eva was a striking woman, he knew the sort of reactions the crew would have when they saw her. All he could do was bite his tongue and let it go over his head while they got it out of their system.

“I'll be honest, I'm not exactly focusing on her hair right now,” Raelus said, his subvocals trilling with mischief. “I’m a little busy looking at everything south of that.” 

“That’s real subtle,” the biotic tittered.

“Oh please, don’t pretend you aren’t doing the same,” he quipped. “Spirits, she is _crazy_ hot! Just check out that ass..” 

Well, his plan had been good while it lasted.

“Hey,” Garrus snapped. “Dial it down a notch, Rae. Alright?” 

“I’ll try but, I make no promises,” he chuckled.

Thing is.. he didn’t try. Not even a little bit. In fact, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she’d stepped out of that damn elevator. Just sat there shamelessly gawping at her, practically eye fucking her from across the room. 

“I mean it, Rae,” he said severely, scooching over to block his view. “She’s a soldier, not a damn lap dancer. Have a little respect. Now, I’m gonna bring her over so I can introduce you. When she comes over here, you keep your shit together, alright?”

Raelus' mandibles pulled tight against his jaw in response to Garrus' authoritative tone, knowing all too well from their time on the Invictus that this wasn’t a friendly request, it was an order from his Captain. 

“Spirits, someone’s grouchy today.” 

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” he retorted, getting to his feet. 

“What was that all about?” he heard Kaidan mumble as he walked away.

“I think he’s upset about leaving Ash behind,” Raelus offered sincerely, not quite quietly enough. 

_No, I just don’t like you sizing her up like a damn piece of meat._

It was possible Garrus hadn’t been _quite_ as prepared as he thought.. he may have to work on that. When Eva spotted him walking over, she said her polite farewells to the young Lieutenant before slinking towards him with a beaming grin. He had to focus now, keep his subvocals in check. Spirits knows how they wanted to react to seeing her but, there were just too many turians around. The game would be over before it had even started. But, damn.. that smile didn’t make it easy. It was like fighting against a sneeze that was desperate to make itself known.

“Hey,” he said as she approached him. “How’d it go with Joker?”

“Hey, Big Guy,” she said happily. “Oh man, it's **so** good to see him again! He’s in his god damn element here, I swear. Thanks for giving us some time to catch up, I appreciate it.”

“No problem. I’m glad you guys got a chance to talk,” he chirped. “Did he happen to mention where we’re headed?”

“He did indeed,” she nodded. “Looks like we’re off to Bekenstein. Should take just over a week, maybe two if we need to stop along the way.”

“Bekenstein?” he queried. “What for?”

“Hell if I know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Nihlus only told him the where, not the why.”

She glanced around the room quizzically for a few moments before meeting his eye again.

“Where is Nihlus?”

“He’s in a meeting with the Council,” he explained. “Shouldn’t be much longer now, I don’t think.”

“I’m a little nervous to see him again,” she admitted, rubbing her upper arm anxiously. “Is that weird?”

“Not at all, I imagine he’s probably feeling the same,” he offered. “Don’t worry about it, alright? It’ll be fine, I promise.”

She nodded in reply, seemingly relaxing a little.

“Come on,” he said, gesturing his head behind him. “I’ll introduce you to some of your new crew.”

“Alrighty,” she chirped. “After you, Big Guy..”

As he guided her back over to his table, Raelus and Kaidan practically leapt out of their seats to greet them, both just a little _too_ eager.

“Now,” Garrus began. “Let me introduce you to -" 

“I’m Raelus,” his friend interjected, chirping away as he held out his gloved hand. “It is _very_ nice to meet you at last, Shepard. Heard a lot about you.” 

She accepted the gesture, smiling at Raelus' chirrups he didn’t know she’d hear. 

“Good to meet you, Raelus. Heard a lot about you, too.. Garrus tells me you’re one hell of an Engineer.”

“One of the best,” Garrus confirmed. 

“Funny, I’ve heard similar things about you, Shepard..” Raelus said, perching himself against the edge of the table. 

“Oh, y’know.. I dabble,” she joked, shrugging a shoulder.

“Have you been down to the Engineering deck yet?”

“No, not yet,” she admitted, folding her arms across her chest. “I bet it’s a whole other world down there, huh?” 

“You bet,” Raelus beamed. “Pop by when you’ve got a minute and I’ll give you the tour.” 

_Relax,_ he thought to himself. _He’s just being nice._

“Sure, why not,” she shrugged. “Thanks.” 

The longer the two of them spoke, the more Garrus could see Kaidan getting flustered as he waited for his turn. It made for quite an amusing sight.

“And this is Staff-Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko,” Garrus said, gesturing to the ruffled human. “One of the Alliance’s finest.” 

The biotic stepped forward to shake her hand, a crimson flush spreading across his cheeks the second they made contact.

_Oh for spirits sake.._

“It’s an honour to meet you, Commander,” Kaidan gushed. 

“It is?” she tittered. “Oh, well.. thanks, I guess. But, I’m not a Commander anymore, Lieutenant. Just call me Shepard.”

“Alright then,” Kaidan said bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks.. Shepard.”

“Alenko here is _quite_ the fan of yours,” Garrus offered, quietly hoping it would fluster the biotic a little more. 

Her eyes snapped up to meet his at that, a questioning look upon her face.

“I have fans?” 

“I’m just as surprised as you are, believe me,” he said teasingly.

“You’re so full of shit,” she snorted, lightly shoving his arm. 

_Well, at least we can still be like this.._

Garrus heard the elevator doors whoosh open behind him, her focus immediately shifting towards them. 

“Nihlus..” she said quietly, her heartrate speeding up. 

“It’ll be fine,” Garrus soothed. “Alright?”

She looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes but, a flanging voice called out before she could reply. 

“Spirits, stop crowding the poor girl, would you?” Nihlus yelled, making his presence well known.

He just couldn’t resist a dramatic entrance, strutting through the Mess with his chest puffed out, pushing his way into their little circle until he stopped right in front of her.

“Hey there, Shepard,” he said softly, a subtle hum lacing his words. 

“Hello, Nihlus,” she said quietly, still a little hesitant.

With that, Nihlus leaned down and wrapped her up in a big hug, embracing her anxieties away. They both laughed a little in relief, happy to be reunited after so much time. 

“Spirits, it’s so good to see you,” Nihlus said sincerely, his mandibles fluttering away. “I’m glad you’re here, Shepard.”

“Me too,” she chuckled. “It sure has been a long time, huh?” 

“Spirits, hasn’t it just,” he said, squeezing her a little tighter.

It was strange. Raelus' remarks and Kaidan’s doe-eyed looks had pissed Garrus off a little too easily. Yet, watching Nihlus hug her.. it didn’t really bother him. Maybe it’s because he knew Nih actually cared for and respected her. Didn’t just want to get in her pants.. even if he did happily admit he would if given the chance. 

_Spirits, don’t think about that.. it was going so well._

When Nihlus eventually released his hold on her, he opened his mouth to speak but stopped before any words could escape. His brow plates furrowed, the ridges on his nose twitching a little as he sniffed the air around him. They all just quietly observed the bizarre moment, watching as he tilted his head to the side and stared at her in confusion. 

_Oh no.._

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, a little weirded out.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open wide in shock as his subvocals trilled wildly, his head snapping over to Garrus to gawp at him in much the same way. 

_Crap.. busted._

He gave Nihlus a look that quietly pleaded for discretion, praying to the spirits that he would take the hint. 

“Guys, would you excuse us a moment?” Nihlus said finally, addressing Kaidan and Raelus. “I need to borrow our dynamic duo for a little project meeting.”

“Uh.. yeah, sure,” Kaidan said awkwardly.

“Right. Come along, you two..” 

Garrus gestured for Eva to join him, following close behind Nihlus as he stormed towards his cabin. 

“Spirits,” he heard Raelus quietly purr as they left. “She is _gorgeous_. I couldn’t stop looking at her!”

“Me either,” Kaidan admitted sheepishly. “I wonder if she’s seeing anyone..”

At this point, Garrus didn’t know what he was more concerned about.. the lecture that awaited them when they walked into that room, or his sudden desire to rip the biotic’s throat out. 

_I certainly know which would be more fun._

“What’s going on?” Eva asked curiously as she walked beside him. 

Garrus opened his mouth to speak but, was cut off before he could answer.

“Patience, my dear,” Nihlus insisted, strutting through the doors as they hissed open. 

They quietly followed him into his quarters, the room feeling awkwardly still once the doors closed behind them. Only the tapping of Nihlus' armoured footsteps filling the space as he began pacing in front of his desk. They simply waited as they stood before him like fledglings that had been summoned to the headmaster’s office. 

“My, my, my..” Nihlus boasted, clasping his hands behind his back. “What _do_ we have here, hmm?” 

The expression on Eva's face as she watched him, you’d have thought Nihlus had just grown a second head right in front of them. She eventually managed to tear her gaze away to meet Garrus' eye, looking completely baffled.

“Alright, I’m at a loss here.. why’s he being weird?” 

“Uh.. well..” Garrus mumbled.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Nihlus interjected, cutting him off. “Come now, don’t spoilt it for her, Garrus.”

He walked over to the puzzled little human and leaned down to her eye level until vibrant green met icy blue, his mandibles spreading wide into a devilish grin.

“We wouldn’t want that now.. would we?”

She sunk into her hip, raising her brows at his sudden cryptic persona.

“You hit your head on the doorframe on the way in or something?” she asked, not entirely joking.

“No,” he chuckled. “But I appreciate your concern, Ash..”

He gasped dramatically at his own remark, leaving Garrus rolling his eyes at Nihlus' incessant need to act like such a fledgling.

“I _am_ sorry, Shepard,” Nihlus exclaimed. “I have absolutely _no_ idea why I called you that. After all.. your name isn’t Ash, is it? Spirits, how silly of me. Why on Palaven would I call you that, hmm?”

Her eyes widened in surprise, a rosy flush spreading across her cheeks before she shot a glare in Garrus' direction.

“Did you tell him?!” 

“Uh.. no,” Garrus admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “In a way.. you kind of did.”

“What the hell?” she barked. “You’ve been with me the whole god damn time, Blue. I didn’t say shit and you know it.”

“You didn’t have to,” Nihlus teased, laughing a little as he backed away. 

“When I left yours yesterday, I bumped into Nih before I'd had a chance to shower,” Garrus explained. “He recognised your scent on me but, he couldn’t remember what it was until he saw you just now.” 

“Sweet mother of marmalade,” she cursed, rubbing her forehead wearily. “You turians and your god damn sense of smell, man. Fuck.”

He couldn’t help but quietly chuckle to himself. Her curses were always so bizarre. 

“Yes, you must have found that highly amusing, Garrus,” Nihlus chided. “Watching me try to figure it out all day like an idiot.”

He waved a hand dismissively, moving to sit on the edge of his desk. 

“I didn’t even know at the time, Nih..”

“Right, okay,” Nihlus scoffed sarcastically.

“It’s true,” Eva insisted. “When I moved to Omega, I gave myself a new name, new look.. everything. Garrus had no idea who I really was when we met.”

“It wasn’t just a cover story, then? Everything you said about ‘Ash'.. wanting her to join the crew.. that was all true?” 

Garrus' gaze drifted to where Eva stood, humming happily as he looked at her. He could never have left her in a place like that.. angels don’t belong in hell.

“Yeah,” he chirped. “It was.”

Her features completely softened as she smiled at him. She was always so fierce, even a little wild sometimes.. he liked that he could bring out this side of her.

“Well, now I know who you were talking about.. I can understand your persistence,” Nihlus chuckled, gesturing his head towards her.

“I’m right here, ya know..” she teased.

“Yes you are, Shepard,” he chirped. “ _Yes_ you are. So, when you found each other back at the Air Control facility..?”

Their eyes met as they reflected on the moment, both laughing a little. Spirits, he’d never been at such a loss for words before. So much time spent looking for her and she’d been right in front of him the whole time.. and under him.. and on top of him. Looking back at it now, he just couldn’t believe he hadn’t worked it out sooner. The things he’d heard about Shepard that had impressed him, were the very qualities that had drawn him to ‘Ash’ in the first place. 

“It was.. interesting, to say the least,” Eva tittered. 

“That’s one way of putting it,” Garrus chuckled. 

“Spirits, this is making my head spin,” Nihlus admitted. “I can only imagine how you guys felt. It certainly explains why you were such a grumpy Gar-bear when you got back last night.”

“Gar-bear?” she teased, looking at Garrus with a sly smile. “Well, _that’s_ adorable..”

“Yeahhhh.. see, Nih isn’t just my mentor,” he explained. “We pretty much grew up together.” 

“Yep. Taught him everything he knows.. you’re welcome, by the way,” Nihlus teased, winking at her with his emerald eyes. 

“Because that isn’t weird _at_ all..”

“Idiot,” Garrus chided, shaking his head tiresomely. 

“I have to say, Shepard, if I’d known you were into older guys.. I wouldn’t have been such a gentleman when we were working together,” Nihlus said teasingly.

_Wait, what?_

She raised one of her brows at that, folding her arms across her chest as she sunk into her hip.

“That was you being a gentleman?” she quipped, laughing a little.

Nihlus leaned back a little as if physically struck by her words, placing a hand over his heart in feign dismay.

“Ouch.. that hurt, Shepard,” he chuckled. “I see you’re just as feisty as ever.”

“I’m sorry,” Garrus cut in, shaking his head. “’Older guys’? How old are you?”

“Gar-bear, you _never_ ask a lady her age,” Nihlus chided mockingly.

“I’m 22,” she said casually. “Why, how old are you?”

_She's.. what?!_

“I’m, uh.. 29,” he admitted. “Spirits, the way you hold yourself, I just assumed.. so, wait.. you were, what.. twenty when you left? How the hell did you become an N7 in just two years?”

He had to admit, he was somewhat taken aback. There was no doubt she _looked_ her age but, there was just something about Eva that was so profound. Leading anyone, himself included, to believe that she had to be older than she looked. Spirits, everything she’d been through, the horrors she’d faced.. she was still so young. 

“Yes, Shepard,” Nihlus purred, crossing his arms across his chest. “How exactly _did_ you become an N7 so fast, when the Alliance enlistment age is eighteen, hmm? Gar-bear here is just _dying_ to know.”

“Way to throw me under the bus there, Kryik,” she grumbled. “Thanks for that.” 

She swept her ponytail over her shoulder, fiddling with the ends to avoid Garrus' gaze as she spoke. 

“I _mayyyy_ have enlisted a little earlier than that,” she mumbled. “I was, uh.. sixteen when I joined the Alliance. But, my records have always been sealed so, no one ever knew.”

_Spirits.._

“How did that come about?”

“Well.. I was in a pretty bad place at the time and getting up to all sorts of stupid shit,” she began. “Anderson was kinda like my guardian back then and, well, he thought becoming a marine would be good for me. Learn some discipline and give me an outlet to focus on. To be fair to him, it worked. Best thing I ever did.”

Well, that explained Anderson’s reaction back at the Citadel. He didn’t just want their best Alliance soldier back, he genuinely cared about her. But, she said he was her guardian.. what about her family? Garrus had told her so much about his, more so than he ever really had with anyone else, but.. she'd never so much as mentioned hers. Why was that?

“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“What.. the age gap?”

“Yeah..”

“Not at all. It’s kinda hot, actually,” he teased.

“Big Guy, you think _everything_ is hot,” she chuckled, shaking her head.

“When it comes to you? Absolutely,” he purred, flashing her a wicked grin. 

“Oh spirits,” Nihlus huffed, running his hand down his face wearily. “Wait a second..”

He instantly switched, looking at Garrus with his brow plates furrowed. 

“Knowing what I do now.. I just have this horrible feeling. So, I’m gonna ask you something and I suggest you be honest with me,” he said severely. “Garrus.. did I just spend my morning covering for you so that you two could have a nice little tumble between the sheets?”

His gaze flitted between the two of them, eyeing them suspiciously. That rosy hue instantly spread across Eva’s cheeks, hanging her head a little to obscure her guilty grin. 

“I, uh.. well..” he mumbled vaguely, scratching his neck.

“I knew it!” Nihlus exclaimed, swiftly getting to his feet. “I _did_ , didn’t I? Spirits, I don’t know whether to be pissed off or proud.”

Eva took subtle steps towards Garrus, the slight growl brewing in Nihlus' chest hinting that she’d be better off close to him. 

“..can’t it be both?” she chirped innocently. 

“Careful, Shepard,” Nihlus scolded, pointing an accusing finger her way. “You’re not exactly an innocent party here.”

Garrus stepped closer to stand beside her, not much caring for Nihlus' tone.

“Ease up, Nih,” he warned. “This is on me, not her.”

Nihlus eyed him curiously, searching his features. Eventually, he shook his head in his frustration, staring at the floor as he murmured quiet annoyances to himself. 

“Well,” he said finally. “I just hope it was worth it because, I won’t be falling for that one again. I’m here as your mentor, Garrus, not your stand-in for whenever you guys fancy a little lover’s tangle.”

He understood why Nihlus was pissed. In his shoes, Garrus would probably feel the same way but, Nih just didn’t get it. He didn’t know what they were having to do.. what that time together had meant to the both of them. So.. did he feel bad for Nihlus feeling like this? Admittedly, yes, a little. If he could go back, would he have done anything differently? Not a chance. He could feel Eva's tension oozing all around him, no doubt thinking much the same as he was.

“Damn right it was worth it,” she snapped. “It was pretty fucking mind-blowing, actually. There, is that what you wanted to hear?”

Nihlus blinked a few times in surprise before looking at Garrus in a momentary stunned silence. Before long, both of them were laughing heartily, neither having expected her to be so blunt. And just like that, she’d washed away the animosity lingering around them. Spirits, she really was a fiery little thing.. and he couldn’t get enough of it. 

“Spirits, Eva,” Garrus chuckled. “Seriously?”

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, apparently not giving a damn. It only made him laugh more.

“..’Eva’?” Nihlus queried. “You never let people call you that..” 

“..what? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I dunno, I guess I was just used to you calling me Ash anyway and.. I kinda liked it,” she shrugged. “Besides, I figure using my first name isn’t quite so intrusive when you’ve seen me in my birthday suit..”

_Seen her in a what now?_

“I’m sorry.. your what?” he asked, shaking his head in confusion.

“It’s a human term, Garrus,” Nihlus explained. “It means ‘naked'.” 

“Ah.. well then, yes,” he purred, gazing at her delicious little form. “I most certainly have.”

To be honest, they’d spent more time together naked than they had clothed. To the point where, even looking at her now, it was all too easy to picture every delectable inch of her underneath. Eva smirked at him and playfully nudged his side, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. 

_Spirits, I just wanna see her with nothing but those boots on.._

“Alright, come on, lover boy,” Nihlus chided, clapping his hands to snap him out of it. “Focus here.”

The sudden sound brought him back to reality and his gaze shot over to Nihlus, trying to fight down his mischievous grin. 

“Spirits alive,” Nihlus huffed tiresomely. “Well, at least we know you two definitely get along..”

“He’s alright,” Eva teased, shrugging her shoulders. 

She’d said the same damn thing in her kitchen yesterday morning after their first wild night together. He’d almost fucked her right there on the counter to make a point. 

“Eva,” he rumbled, leaning in a little closer. “Do you remember what happened last time you said that?”

“Sure do, Big Guy,” she chirped, winking at him.

_Spirits, if she carries on, I may just end up throwing Nih out of this damn room._

“Alright, alright,” Nihlus urged. “Spirits, it’s like being around a couple of frisky teenagers. So, are you two.. you know..”

They both shrunk a little at that, his words a bitter reminder of their reluctant farewells. Eva simply shook her head as she stared at the floor, unwilling to be the one to say it.

“Uh.. no,” Garrus said solemnly, his mandibles pulled tight against his face. “Not anymore.” 

“Oh..” Nihlus said quietly. “But, I mean.. you guys seem.. I dunno..”

“We just can’t risk anyone finding out,” Eva said sadly. 

“Not yet, anyway,” Garrus finished.

“Why not?”

“Come on, Kyrik. You know as well as I do that the Alliance doesn’t tolerate fraternising amongst shipmates,” Eva huffed, fiddling with the ends of her hair. “If we got caught, they’d take me off the project and replace me with someone else..”

“And I’m not about to let that happen,” Garrus said severely, shaking his head. “So, the safest thing to do for now is to keep things professional.” 

“ _This_ is you guys being professional?” Nihlus teased. “Spirits, I don’t wanna see you when you’re not.”

_No, you **really** don’t.._

“Nihlus, you’re the only other person here and you already know,” Eva snapped. “Obviously we wouldn’t be like this in front of everyone. If we were, there’d be no point calling things off in the first damn place.”

“Eva, it’s okay..”

“No, Garrus, it isn’t,” she said, bristling a little. “I'm not a damn robot, I can’t just switch off my feelings like a fucking lamp.”

She let out a heavy sigh, her quick temper masking her sadness. Spirits, he just wanted to hold her. This was already so fucking tough.

“No, she’s right,” Nihlus said softly, perching himself back down. “I’m sorry, Shepard.. this must be tough for you guys. Have you.. I dunno.. got a plan moving forward?”

“For now, the plan is just to show that we can work well as a team and get the job done,” Garrus explained. “We’re hoping that if we do that for long enough, they might think twice about separating us if they found out.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Nihlus huffed, running his hand along his fringe. “..are you both gonna be okay with this?”

Their eyes met and didn’t part for the longest time. Of course they weren’t going to be okay with this. But..

“We have to be,” she insisted.

“We’re together,” he chirped, lightly nudging her arm. “That’s what counts, right?” 

“Mmhmm,” she said, nodding a little. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner,” Nihlus chuckled. “I’ve never seen this guy so much as glance at a human his whole life. If anyone was gonna convert him, it would be you.” 

_Spirits, did she ever._

She gazed up at Garrus, smiling that smile of hers. 

“Hmm.. he converted me, too,” she said softly. 

“I bet he did,” Nihlus chuckled. “Well, your secret is safe with me. I’m sorry you guys are in this position.. it sucks.” 

“Yeah,” Garrus sighed. “Thanks, Nih.” 

Eva approached Nihlus, resting her hand on his armoured bicep. Spirits, she looked so tiny. Even with Nihlus sat on the desk, he was still taller than her. It was kinda cute.

“Nihlus.. I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “For leaving without saying goodbye and just.. everything.”

“Shepard, you have _nothing_ to be sorry for,” he replied, engulfing her hand with his own. “Absolutely nothing, understood? I’m just happy you’re here.”

“Me too,” she chirped.

“Good,” Nihlus chuckled. “Now, you should probably take your hand off me before Gar-bear gets the urge to rip my fringe off.” 

She snorted a laugh at that, lightly shoving his shoulder. 

“Right, well.. unless there’s any other dramatic plot twists to share, you guys should probably head to the Comm Room,” Nihlus urged. “Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson wanna speak with the both of you. Nothing serious, they mainly just want to go over the next assignment and check in with you, Shepard. They’ll be available whenever you guys are ready.”

“What about Fedorian?” Garrus asked. 

“He’ll be busy on Palaven for a while.. he’s still the Primarch, after all. But, he said he’d try to return to the Citadel for when we next visit.” 

“The Citadel..” Eva sighed. “Fuck, it’s been so long..” 

“It sure has,” Nihlus chirped, folding his arms across his chest. “You seem to have healed up pretty nicely since last time, though. Barely a mark on you.”

_Nope. Just one.._

“Hmm? Oh.. yeah, this is all Mordin's handiwork,” she explained, examining her blemish free skin. “Fixed me up real good. The guy's a freakin' wizard, I swear. Installed some cybernetics for the tougher breaks, gave me a skin weave to get rid of all those gnarly acid burns.. I heal like a damn krogan now, honestly.”

_Well, that answers **so** many questions. _

“Wrex used to joke about you being part krogan.. I guess you may as well heal like one,” Nihlus teased. 

“God damn, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while,” she sighed. “I wonder how he’s doing..” 

“Knowing him, he’s probably having fun causing all kinds of trouble,” Nihlus joked, getting to his feet. “..you look good, Shepard. It’s nice to see you back to your old self again.” 

“I’m getting there,” she shrugged. “Thanks, Kyrik.”

“Anytime,” he beamed. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a quick word with our Gar-bear here.. it won’t take long.” 

“Sure.”

She turned to head for the doors, stopping beside Garrus to rest her warm little hand on his arm. 

“I’ll wait for you outside, okay?”

“Alright,” he said softly, humming a little from her touch. “I won’t be a minute.” 

She gave him that cheeky little smile before she set off, his eyes following after her right up until the doors closed between them. 

“Alright, I’m just gonna come out and say it,” Nihlus said finally, walking towards him. “Gar-bear, are you gonna be able to do this?” 

“..do what?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know what I mean..” 

Garrus ran his hand along the length of his fringe, letting out a defeated sigh.

“I don’t have much choice, Nih.”

“I know. I understand why you've gotta do this but, whatever is going on with you two is obviously more than just a casual hook up,” Nihlus began. “Now, I heard Raelus and the Lieutenant talking about Shepard as we came in here so, I know damn well that you did, too. Are you gonna be able to handle that as time goes on?” 

“Look, I’m not an idiot, alright?” he huffed, leaning against the wall. “I knew how the guys would react when they saw her. I’m not gonna pretend I like it but, I’m not about to do anything reckless, either.” 

“Well, I want you to be careful, Garrus. Spirits, you even got snappy with me and I barely even raised my voice at her. I just don’t wanna come down to the Mess one day to find you picking Alenko chunks out of your teeth..” Nihlus teased, moving to stand beside him. 

“Please,” Garrus scoffed. “He’s too timid to actually do anything.” 

“I dunno, Gar-bear,” Nihlus said sceptically. “It's the quiet ones you wanna watch out for. Look, all I’m saying is.. if it gets to the point where you guys _not_ being together is proving just as dangerous.. it might be time to rethink your situation. You understand?”

“Yeah, I do,” he said, a little deflated. “I just wanna keep her safe, Nih. I can’t do that if she’s not here.” 

Nihlus placed a comforting hand on Garrus' shoulder, humming in concern. 

“I know,” he said sincerely. “But, when it comes to affairs of the heart.. we turians aren’t renown for being great at sharing. I imagine the project leaders would be more upset by savaged crew members than you and Shepard keeping each other warm at night.” 

Garrus let out a short laugh, his old friend knew him a little too well. 

“I hear you. But, for now.. it’s just not a risk I’m willing to take.” 

“You’re a good man, Gar-bear,” Nihlus chirped proudly. “I taught you well.”

Garrus chirruped in thanks, only to stop abruptly when Nihlus startled a little.

“Spirits, I almost forgot,” he said hurriedly. “There’s something I have to give you..” 

With that, he shot around his desk and began rummaging through the various draws, mumbling to himself as he searched. 

“Aha,” he said finally. “Here we are..”

He rushed back around and placed the item in Garrus' hand, the metal gently cooling the hide of his palm. He inspected the little chain closely, a little shocked and confused. 

“I don’t understand..”

“It may be too soon but, that’s not our call to make,” Nihlus explained. “Just keep them on you for now. You’ll understand why soon enough..”

“If you say so,” he mumbled, still a little puzzled as he placed the little pendant in his pocket. 

Nihlus walked him to the door but, Garrus stopped just short of it and sighed a little, needing to get something off his chest.

“Look, Nih.. about this morning. You should know it’s not what you think, alright? I’m sorry for misleading you, but..”

“Gar-bear,” he cut in. “I get it, alright? Say no more.”

“Thanks,” he said gratefully.

“No problem. If anything, I admire your self control,” Nihlus teased. “A girl like Shepard? Spirits, I would have stayed up there all day..” 

“Careful, Nih,” he warned. 

“Ooft,” Nihlus chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got it _bad_ , Gar-bear.”

“Spirits, no I don’t,” he said, maybe a little too defensively as he shook off Nihlus' grip. 

“Whatever you say.." Nihlus snickered. 

“Okay, I’m leaving now,” he grumbled.

Nihlus quietly chuckled to himself as Garrus moved for the doors. As they whooshed open, their eyes landed on an.. interesting site. Eva had waited just the other side as she said, though she wasn’t waiting by herself. Accompanying her was a blushing, flustered, Lieutenant.. swooped in like a damn vulture the instant she was alone. She immediately turned around to face him when she heard the doors hiss open, her lips cocking at the sides. 

“ _Finally_ ,” she teased, sinking into her hip. “I thought I was gonna die of old age before you were done in there. What were you two hens clucking about?”

Both turians looked at each other, humming away as they pondered their answer.

“Spectre business,” they both said in unison.

“Uh huh..” she drawled, not particularly convinced.

Garrus’ gaze shifted between her and the doe-eyed biotic, the veins in Alenko's head almost popping out from trying so damn hard not to look at her. 

_I don’t think so.._

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said sincerely. “You ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be..” she chirped. 

“Yeah, so, uh.. I should probably leave you to it,” Kaidan mumbled awkwardly. “Just, uh.. think about what I said.”

“Will do,” she said casually. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

As Alenko sheepishly skulked away, Nihlus gave Garrus a look that screamed ‘I told you so’ and his mandibles pulled tight against his face in response, both of them trilling curiously. Eva caught the not so silent conversation between the two, eyeing both of them up suspiciously. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Garrus chirped innocently. “Shall we?” 

Those piercing blue eyes narrowed at that. But, for whatever reason, she let it slide anyway. With that, they bid their farewells to Nihlus and made for the elevator. Luckily, the Mess had quietened down by now, safely cruising through without anyone else bombarding her along the way.

The doors to the elevator closed behind him, leaving just the two of them in this little confined space. Spirits, the energy around them was so intense it almost crackled.. it was hard to ignore it. 

“So.. what were you and Nihlus _really_ talking about?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall. 

“Oh, you know.. just stuff.”

“Wow,” she gasped mockingly. “I’m not sure if I’ll remember all that.. you mind if I write it down?” 

“Very funny,” he chuckled. “Alright.. the quick version; Nihlus thinks Alenko is gonna try it on with you, wants to make sure I’m not gonna do anything stupid if he does.” 

“Actually, uh..” she mumbled. “I think he did just basically ask me out. Asked if I wanted to go for a drink whenever we’re next on leave.”

 _Alright, maybe I will kill him,_ he thought to himself, only half joking.

“Oh,” he rumbled, bristling a little. 

“..I said no, by the way.”

“You did?” he asked, quietly relieved.

“Of course,” she said sweetly. “The guy seems nice enough but, he’s just.. not my type.”

She slinked close enough to stand mere inches away, tilting her head back to meet his eye. 

“You’ve officially ruined me for human men, Big Guy,” she purred. “You were right, they’ll never cut it for me again.” 

Those big blue eyes gazed right into his own, an enticing smile upon her lips.

“Spirits, I just wanna touch you..” he breathed, that sizzling energy between them luring him in. 

“Are you sure that’s _all_ you wanna do?” she said in a seductive tone.

There she was, at it again. Goading him in a way he shouldn’t love but he damn well did anyway. His chest rumbled as he loomed over her, urging her backwards until she was against the wall, bracing his hands either side of her head. If she was going to push, then he’d happily push back. 

“No,” he purred, leaning in close. “What I’d _really_ like to do, is rip off everything but those boots and fuck you right here.” 

Her cheeks blushed that rosy hue and he smirked at the sight, standing tall just as the elevator doors began to open. 

“Shame,” he teased, strutting out of the elevator. “Maybe next time, hmm?”

She quietly mumbled a string of curses as she followed him out, making him chuckle at his subtle victory. He took hurried steps towards the Tech Lab, hoping they could slip through the CIC unnoticed before..

“Spectre Vakarian,” came the Yeoman’s eager voice as they neared the doors.

Ugh.. that.

He quietly huffed out a short breath, reluctantly turning to greet the overly friendly human. 

“Yes, Miss Chambers,” he said. “What can I do for you?” 

“You have unread messages at your private terminal, sir,” she purred.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the amused little grin on Eva’s face at his expense. Yeoman Chambers was a nice enough woman but, her interest in him wasn’t exactly subtle.. nor was it reciprocated. It just meant he always felt awkward around her.

“Okay, well, I’ll get right on that,” he said, not acknowledging her tone. “Have you had a chance to meet our new Executive Officer?” 

He gestured towards Eva, hoping to divert the Yeoman’s attention elsewhere. Luckily, she took the bait, and Eva was happy to play her part. 

“Good to meet you, Miss Chambers,” she chirped, stepping forward to shake her hand. “I’m Shepard.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Shepard. Welcome to the Normandy,” the Yeoman beamed. “Wow, you are _so_ pretty.” 

“Oh.. uh, thank you,” she chuckled, a little awkward. “So are you.” 

Was she? He supposed the vibrant colours of her features could be perceived as such. Though the same could be said throughout any species. To be honest, other than Eva, humans still seemed to look the same to him. No one could hold a candle to his strange little human.

“How do you get your hair like that? It must be a nightmare to maintain!” 

_Spirits.. girl talk. Great._

“What? Oh, no..” Eva tittered. 

She swept her long ponytail over her shoulder, running her fingers through the snowy locks. Hair was still a fascinating concept, he couldn’t help but watch as the silky strands trickled through her grasp.

“This is my natural colour,” she explained. “I’m pretty lazy to be honest, I don’t really do anything with it.” 

“No way!” Kelly gasped. “That’s natural? Wow, how strange. It’s gorgeous, though.” 

_Gorgeous and strange.. yeah, that about sums her up,_ he thought to himself amusingly.

“Thanks,” Eva chuckled, flicking it back over her shoulder.

“You know.. you are _so_ lucky to be working with Mr Vakarian,” Kelly cooed, sizing up Garrus like she wanted to eat him. “If you ever want to trade places, you just let me know.”

“I’ll, uh.. keep it in mind,” Eva tittered. “Anyway, it’s been lovely to meet you, Miss Chambers, but we should really..” 

She gestured her head in the direction that Garrus had been trying to lead her, taking subtle steps backwards as she made for the door.

“Oh! Of course,” Kelly giggled. “Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson are waiting to speak with you in the Comm Room.” 

“Yes, and we _really_ shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Garrus insisted. “Thank you for your time, Yeoman Chambers.” 

“You are most welcome, sir,” she purred. “I’ve always got time for you.” 

“Ha.. right,” he mumbled awkwardly, edging towards the doors. 

Once they were safely out of the CIC, Garrus exhaled a sigh of relief, finally free from the Yeoman’s hungry claws. 

“Oh, Spectre Vakarian,” Eva swooned in a high pitched, sing-song voice, twirling her hair around her finger. “I’ve _always_ got time for you..”

“Mmm, I like it a lot more when you say it,” he purred. 

“Oh, come on.. she’s cute.”

“She’s terrifying,” he corrected. 

“Don’t be mean,” she chuckled, nudging his side. 

The doors to the Tech Lab opened and Eva immediately darted inside, heading for the work station where Mordin was already keeping himself busy. 

“Mordin!” she beamed. “How’s my favourite salarian doing?”

“Hello, Shepard,” he greeted cheerily, still typing away on his console. “Depends. If talking about me; excellent. If not.. too many unknown factors to give accurate answer.” 

“Of course I mean you, ya old wackadoodle,” she snorted.

She looked around in awe, marvelling at the various gadgets and gizmos the Lab had to offer. 

“Holy crapballs, this is place is _sweeet_ ,” she gushed. “It’s like your perfect little happy place, Mordin!”

“Indeed,” he chuckled. “Clear that Council spared no expense. Technology shows obvious signs of combined human/turian ingenuity. Most intriguing.” 

She focused her attention on a strange looking piece of equipment on a desk nearby. Garrus had absolutely no idea what it was but, it almost looked like an empty safe, emitting a UV light from inside. And, of course.. she put her hand into the light without a second thought, giggling a little at the sensation. 

“It kinda tingles,” she said excitedly, looking at Garrus as she twiddled her fingers. 

He just shook his head as he chuckled to himself. Spirits, she was just as bad as he was. 

“Shepard,” Mordin cut in. “Admire your curiosity.. thirst for knowledge. Still, refrain from touching equipment. Don’t want repeat of Refractor incident.”

“Oh, come on! That was _one_ time,” she countered. “Besides, that thing was cool as hell, it was just begging me to do it.” 

“Recall warning sign attached asking exact opposite,” Mordin quipped. 

She poked her tongue out at him, leaning against the desk with her arms folded across her chest.

“Okay, this I’ve gotta hear..” Garrus chuckled, delving deeper into the room to meet them. 

“Refractor measures index of bend in light rays when passing from one medium to another,” Mordin explained. “Used to test various weapon and armour features. Scope lenses.. helmet visors, so on. Ensures vision unimpaired when light passes through material.”

“ _Right_..” 

“You basically put whatever you wanted to test inside this perspex box type thing,” Eva continued, gesturing with her hands. “Then it would shine a bright beam right through it like a laser and measure the angles that the light rays refracted off them.. _so_ fucking cool.”

“Sounds it,” he chirped. “Now.. come on, what did you do?”

“I, uh.. just wanted to see what would happen if the beam met a reflective surface,” she mumbled sheepishly. “Sooooo.. I _may_ have put a mirror inside.. and it _may_ have caused a minor heat malfunction..”

“’Caught fire’ more accurate.” 

“That’s still technically a heat malfunction,” she retorted. 

“I don’t think it is,” Garrus teased. “But, I have to agree with the Professor on this one.. no more sabotaging flammable equipment. At least not on the Normandy.”

“You’re no fun,” she sulked jokingly.

“Suggest less expensive and potentially fatal outlet for fun, Shepard,” Mordin quipped.

“Agreed,” Garrus chuckled. “Look, we really should get to this meeting, don’t you think?”

“Oh shit, yeah,” she startled, pushing off the desk. “Sorry, Mordin, gotta go.. I’ll come back later to bug you some more.” 

“Tendencies for arson aside.. enjoy your company, Shepard,” Mordin said sincerely. "Always welcome. Also, brought your armour and weapons as requested. Waiting in Armoury.”

“Nice! Thanks, Mordin. You're a doll,” she beamed, pointing a finger gun his way and clicking her tongue. “Catch ya later.”

“Bye, Professor,” Garrus chirped, chuckling a little as they left. 

They finally reached the Comm Room but, Eva stopped just inside the doors. When Garrus looked over, her heartrate on his visor was speeding up rapidly, her whole body tensing up as she stared at the Comm platforms. She was nervous to see them again. He rested his hands on her shoulders, figuring it was a less intimate but, still comforting move. She looked up at him as he made contact, smiling softly.

“It's gonna be fine, alright? I’ll be right here with you..”

“Thanks, Blue,” she said sincerely. She huffed out a deep breath, nodding in resolve. “Okay, let’s do this.”

They approached the platforms together and Garrus reached out to activate the Comm channel, his hand hovering just above.

“Ready?”

She looked at him hesitantly but, nodded in confirmation nonetheless. With that, he initialised the transmission before she could change her mind. Barely seconds later, the projections of Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson stood before them, their blue, holo images looking as realistic as their physical selves.

“Admirals,” Garrus respectfully greeted, giving them a single nod.

“Spectre Vakarian,” Hackett began, appearing just as stoic as ever. “When Nihlus told us the good news, we honestly weren’t sure whether to believe it. But.. you did it.”

Hackett’s attention shifted over to Eva, a subtle smile spreading across his features.

“Shepard, you sure are a sight for sore eyes.”

“Admiral Hackett, sir,” she greeted happily, bowing her head.

She smiled at Anderson’s projection in front of her and even Garrus could see the relief and joy in the man’s eyes.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said softly.

“Hey, pops,” she said quietly, her voice breaking a little. “You doing okay?”

“I am now,” he beamed. “Not been the same without you, kid..”

She hung her head a little, her hands gripping her upper arms as she tried to keep it together. Spirits, he hated seeing her upset. Especially when he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. 

“I know,” she said solemnly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no.. don’t be. I’m just happy to see you’re okay,” he said sincerely. “So, what do you think of the Normandy?”

“She’s one sexy ass ship, alright,” Eva tittered. “I think Joker would happily marry her if he could.”

“Ha.. yeah, I wouldn’t put it past him,” Anderson chuckled. “Look, we’ve got a lot to catch up on, kiddo, but I doubt these gentlemen want to wait around while we do. When you come back to the Citadel.. we’ll talk properly, hmm?” 

“Sounds like a plan,” she chirped. 

“Alright then,” he said softly, nodding his head. 

“Shepard..” Hackett began. “First of all, I want to welcome you to Project Concordia. I trust Spectre Vakarian has briefed you on the nature of the project?”

“He has, Admiral,” she confirmed. “It’s long overdue, if you ask me.” 

“I couldn’t agree more. That’s one of the many reasons we knew you’d be perfect for this, Shepard,” Hackett said proudly. 

“What are we actually working towards here, Admiral? What’s the goal?” 

“Simply put, the Council wants us to show the galaxy that our two species are stronger together than divided,” the Admiral explained. “Spectre Vakarian and yourself will be working as partners in whatever capacity the Council, the turian military, and the Alliance has need of.”

“No pressure,” Eva tittered, rubbing the back of her neck.

“You can do this,” Anderson insisted. “Both of you. You two were chosen because you represent the best of your species. Be proud of that.” 

The two looked to one another, both straightening their posture a little with pride. Damn right they were the best.. and together, they’d be near on unstoppable. 

“In what capacity are we needed on Bekenstein, Admirals?” Garrus asked.

“You’re going there to assist one of your potential recruits,” Hackett explained. “One Miss Kasumi Goto.” 

“I won’t sugar coat it; Miss Goto is a thief,” Anderson admitted. “But, she’s a master of stealth and infiltration. Few have ever heard of her, fewer still can put a face to the name. Her skills will be of great benefit to this crew.”

“Sounds like my kinda gal,” Eva said mischievously. “What does she need from us?” 

“Her late partner’s graybox was stolen by a man named Donovan Hock,” Hackett explained. “Miss Goto requires your assistance to get it back.” 

“A graybox?” Garrus asked. “Isn’t that like a memory implant?”

“Essentially, yes,” Hackett nodded. “A graybox will record and store the users memories indefinitely, allowing them to view these memories at any time like a video log. They were originally designed to aid those with Alzheimer's disease but, the side effects proved to be too dangerous. Miss Goto’s partner, Mr Keiji Okuda, was one of very few still known to possess one.” 

“So.. this ‘Hock'.. what’s his story?” Eva asked, folding her arms across her chest. 

“He's a typical ‘Lord of the manor' type, fancies himself as a patron of the arts,” Anderson said indignantly. “In reality, he’s just another run of the mill criminal..”

“Mr Hock is hosting a party at his mansion, only the best of the worst will be invited to attend,” Hackett continued. “The mission is simple; the two of you will infiltrate this party with Miss Goto, then help her to locate and retrieve Okuda’s graybox.” 

“How are we even gonna get in? I highly doubt this guy’s eager for a Spectre to crash a party full of bad guys.” 

“Miss Goto has created fake identities for the pair of you,” Anderson explained. “She’s certain that by the time you reach Bekenstein, everyone at that party will have heard of you.”

“Oo, we’ll be like spies!” Eva said to Garrus excitedly, clapping her hands together. “How cool is that?”

“It certainly beats fighting through plague infested slums,” he teased.

“Please,” she scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. “I did most of the fighting for you..”

She wasn’t kidding, he could still picture the gory aftermath she’d left in her wake. He couldn’t wait to see her in action. 

“True,” he chuckled. 

“This mission should be pretty straightforward, and the perfect opportunity to see how the two of you work together as partners,” said Hackett. 

Eva looked over at him, both of them trying to hide their sly smiles. They’ve sure as hell worked well together so far. 

“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, sir,” Eva chirped.

“Glad to hear it, Shepard,” he replied with a nod. His projection opened up his Omni-Tool and began typing away. “Spectre Vakarian, I’m sending you the datafiles for your new identities, if you could pass Shepard’s on, I’d appreciate it.” 

“Of course, Admiral.”

Garrus' Omni-Tool chimed seconds later and he opened Hackett’s message to see two separate attachments. He went to forward on Eva’s file when she urged him to stop.

“Wait,” she insisted, opening her Omni-Tool. “You’ll need my actual details first..” 

_What the..?_

Suddenly, he pinged with another message.. from the encrypted server Cherry Bomb had used.

 _(* E.S: - Sup, Big Guy_ 🙂 _*)_

“Wait, you use this, too?” he asked, shaking his head a little.

She furrowed her brows at that.

“You’ve used it before?”

“Uh.. yeah. The tip I received about where to find you.. they used this program to contact me.”

“What? Who was it?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “One of Aria's guards, called himself Cherry Bomb..”

She immediately burst out laughing, and although he didn’t have the faintest clue what exactly was so funny, her laugh was just too infectious.. you couldn’t help but join her.

“Was Cherry Bomb turian, by any chance?” she asked, still chuckling away.

“Yeah,” he tittered. “He was.”

“White plates, orange markings?”

“Uh.. possibly? I didn’t really get a good look at him,” Garrus admitted. “He sort of ambushed me and ran away. It was pretty weird, to be honest..”

“That’s definitely Grizz,” she tittered. “He’s the friend I mentioned. That must be why he contacted me last night..” 

_Maybe don’t explore that further in front of our present company.._

He put it out of his mind for now and forwarded on her datafile.

“How did you discover this server, anyway?” he asked curiously. “I’ve never heard of it before..”

“No, you wouldn’t have,” she said with a sly smile. “I made it.” 

Spirits, of course she did. Why didn’t he think of that? It was a perfect means of communication for those who knew her true identity without the risk of being traced. She was a clever little thing, that’s for sure. 

“That’s very impressive,” he chirped. 

“Good to see you're putting your skills to more productive uses these days, kiddo..” Anderson said. “It took at least a couple of weeks to fix those Avina terminals.” 

“Oh.. you remember that, huh?” she mumbled, laughing awkwardly. 

“I think most of the Citadel remembers, kid,” he chuckled. “Udina certainly does.”

“Ugh.. Udina's an asshole, he deserved it.”

Garrus looked at her with a raised brow, _very_ much intrigued.

“I’ll explain later,” she insisted.

“You better watch out for this one, Vakarian,” Anderson teased, pointing at Eva. “She may look sweet and innocent but, she’s nothing but trouble.” 

_Spirits, you’re telling me.._

“Don’t worry, sir,” he rumbled, flashing Eva a wicked grin. “I’ll keep my eye on her.” 

A subtle smirk spread across her features, only enough for him to see.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about,” she chirped innocently, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m as innocent as the sunrise.”

“Whatever you say, kiddo,” Anderson teased. 

Both he and Hackett's projections looked at each other questioningly, eventually nodding in unison. 

“There’s just one last thing we need to discuss,” Hackett began. “Spectre Vakarian, we asked Spectre Kryik to pass something on to you prior to this meeting. Do you have them?”

Damn.. when Nihlus said he’d be needing them soon, he didn’t realise he meant quite this soon. 

“Uh.. yes, Admiral,” he said, a little flustered. “I do.”

Eva looked at him with her brows furrowed in confusion. Spirits, was she even ready for this yet?

“Would you mind..” Anderson asked.

“Of course, sir.”

Eva watched him like a hawk as he tentatively reached into his pocket and retrieved the little chain, keeping it hidden within his enclosed fist as he approached her.

“No pressure, okay?” he insisted. “This is only if you’re ready..”

Her gaze danced across his features, a little cautious and curious.

“Garrus.. what are you doing?”

She watched as he began to open his hand, her eyes snapping up to his as he revealed what was inside.

“My dog tags?!” she asked in shock, immediately looking over at Hackett and Anderson’s projections. “What’s going on, pops?”

_Wait, what did she think I was doing?_

“Kiddo, I’ve been a soldier since before you were born.. and in all that time, I have _never_ come across another marine like you,” he said sincerely. “Now, I know that may sound biased coming from me but, it’s true..”

“He’s right, Shepard,” Hackett nodded. “I can say without a doubt that you are the best soldier the Alliance has ever had, possibly ever will have. With your permission, it would be our honour to reinstate you, effective immediately.”

She cautiously retrieved her dog tags, her head tilting to the side as she examined them. 

“This is, uh.. I wasn’t expecting this.” 

She looked at Garrus as if she were hoping he’d have the right answer. 

“It’s your call,” he said sincerely. “We’ll respect your decision, whatever you decide.”

Her thumb stroked across the surface of her dog tags, almost lovingly.

“I do miss it..”

“You’re an N7, Shepard.. a marine,” Hackett said proudly. “It’s not something that goes away, it’s who you are.”

“You’re one of us, kid,” Anderson beamed. “Always have been, always will be.” 

A tense atmosphere hung in the air as she quietly pondered her decision.

“Well, in that case,” she said finally, pulling the chain over her head until the tags rested on her chest. “I accept your offer.. I think I’m ready to be me again.”

Hackett and Anderson released a collective breath of relief that neither realised they’d been holding. 

“Shepard, I can’t tell you how happy we are to hear that,” Hackett said sincerely. “Then let me hereby declare that you are officially reinstated into the Alliance, resuming all ranks, medals and entitlements earned prior to your retirement. It is my genuine pleasure to say this; welcome back, Commander.”

She straightened her posture, giving the Admiral’s a human salute.

“Thank you, sir,” she said proudly. “I won’t let you down.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” Hackett beamed. 

“I’m proud of you, kid,” Anderson said. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks, pops,” she replied, smiling softly.

Great, beaming grins spread across the Admiral’s faces, elated to have their best return to their ranks. She was finally ready to embrace her old life once more, along with the dangers that came with it. Garrus admired her for it, respected her courage. Whatever awaited her out there amongst the stars, they’d be ready for it. Together. He quietly smiled to himself as he looked at her, already able to see it. Hackett was right, this was who she truly was. Commander Eva Shepard, the best damn soldier the Alliance has to offer.. and he couldn’t have been more proud of her. 

_That’s my girl._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was mainly just a chatty chapter but, I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Nihlus' reveal was one I was really looking forward to writing. Plus, she's officially Commander Shepard again, wahey!
> 
> The next chapter is another I've been super pumped to write. Their first proper mission together and bringing our lovely Kasumi into the mix. I hope you're as excited as I am!
> 
> Cheers guys 😁 stay tuned


	13. Midnight and Buttercup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hope you're all doing well! Apologies for the delay. Had a lot going on lately so, took me longer than usual. However..
> 
> 1) This chapter is pretty hefty so.. that should make up for it. Seriously, get yourself comfortable for this one.. it's huge.
> 
> 2) There's a little surprise in here that I think you're going to enjoy 🙃
> 
> Have fun, hope it's been worth the wait! HEIST, HEIST, BABY!

In the few days following the Normandy’s departure from Omega, one too many lapses in their ‘strictly professional’ relationship had lead to the pair begrudgingly setting some rules in place..

1) He’d wouldn’t call her Eva anymore. 

Other than Joker, Garrus was the only person she allowed to call her that. The pilot had been a close friend of hers for a long time so, him being an exception to her rule was understandable. But, for a guy she'd essentially just met? It was bound to raise questions, as Nihlus had already proven. 

2) No touching, unless there’s a medical or life-threatening emergency. 

What started as little, innocent touches here and there kept sneakily creeping towards something more. Most often when Shepard came to visit him in the Main Battery. They'd get all hot and bothered, then reach that inevitable moment where they’d remember what was at stake and reluctantly back off. This one was particularly tough to stick to but, for the sake of their sanity, it had to be done. 

3) Absolutely **no** talking about sex.

Whilst it was certainly _a lot_ of fun tempting and teasing each other, similar to rule two, it had lead to a few near slip ups. They just wanted each other too damn badly. Craving even the slightest little hint of just.. something. Problem is, the more you test those limits.. the worse those cravings get. That being said, flirty banter was still permitted and very much encouraged. 

That was almost two weeks ago now. Although it hadn’t been easy in any sense of the word, so far.. the rules were working. It was progress, at least. 

Throughout the journey, Garrus had quietly observed as Shepard adjusted to life aboard the Normandy. Curious to see precisely what it was that ranked her as the Alliance’s top dog. He had to admit, she was exceptional. Went above and beyond, in every sense of the word. 

Every day, she took the time to visit each crew member, gradually getting to know them as individuals and assisting them where she could. Whether it be lending Chellick a hand servicing the vehicles and heavy mechs down in the Shuttle Bay, or simply bringing some gratefully received coffee to Joker and the CIC crew. Garrus had even stumbled upon her and Aurelio in the kitchen one day, both happily chatting and laughing as she helped him wash up after dinner. After that, she’d formally requested that a daily cleaning rota be put in place to help the chef. Garrus could still picture her face clear as day, she’d marched into the Main Battery like a woman on a mission..

 _“Shepard, it’s his job,”_ Garrus had said. _“Should we make a rota for cleaning the ground team’s weapons and armour after each mission, too?”_

She’d sunk into her hip, giving him that look that suggested he might want to rethink his answer. 

_“Big Guy,”_ she’d replied. _“You and I both know that Aurelio could just cook up two big pots of slop to feed the masses and save himself a fuck tonne of time and effort. But, he doesn’t. He takes pride in his job, and he works his damn ass off all day to provide us with food that no other military ship would ever dream of having. I think the very least we could do is pitch in to show him how much we appreciate that. So, if I’ve gotta wipe mud and god knows what off of someone else’s boots to make this happen then.. hell fucking yeah, lay it on me.”_

He smiled to himself as he pondered the memory. She certainly was something. Of course he’d agreed to it, he hadn’t even been bothered about the rota. He’d actually admired her generosity to ask for such a thing. After all, it ultimately didn’t benefit _her_ in any way. He was just eager to see how she’d react to being challenged in that capacity, to understand _why_ she was asking it of him. In short; she cared. Genuinely. She made people feel valid, regardless of who they were or what role they held. As time went by, he began to understand that it wasn’t simply her prowess that made her the legend she was.. it was her kindness, too. 

Honestly? Shepard taking the reigns with tending to the crews day to day needs had been quite the relief. The patience required to listen to every story, squabble or piece of idle chatter was just something that Garrus had always lacked. With her happily taking ownership of that side of things, it allowed him to manage all the behind the scenes duties that were much more his forte. In fact, when there weren’t official matters to attend to, he simply kept to himself in the Main Battery. The crew knew he always held an open door policy but, it was quiet down there. Peaceful. Gave him the space he needed to get work done. 

Before long, it had become their daily ritual that Shepard would save him for last on her list of rounds. Sometimes, she’d read her little comics to him as he worked, and he’d stop her every now and again to ask questions. If not, they’d be laughing endlessly as they swapped stories of their wild exploits, or simply enjoy the comfortable silence as she played her video games and he tinkered away. The restrictions they’d put on themselves, whilst not ideal, had allowed their friendship to blossom. She was just easy to be around, he felt content in her company. Those times where she’d stop by to visit him had quickly come to be his favourite part of the day. 

Now, however, the time had finally come for their first mission together. As Garrus stared out of the shuttle window at the city below, he felt anxious and invigorated as to what awaited them at this little soirée. He couldn’t wait to finally work side by side with Shepard but, this whole thing had been left in the hands of a complete stranger. A thief, no less. Not exactly the most comforting thought. 

“We’re about ten minutes out from the rendezvous point, Captain,” came Cortez' cheery voice.

“Noted,” he replied. “I’ll call Shepard and make sure she’s ready to go.”

“Copy that.”

Garrus approached the terminal on the wall nearby, unconsciously straightening out his formal tunic before typing into the console to set up the vid call. The display lingered on the dialling screen as it rang through, finally switching to the view of Shepard’s quarters that could be seen from her terminal. There were clothes and shoes strewn all across the space but.. no sign of the petite Commander.

“Uh.. Shepard?”

“Hey, Big Guy,” a familiar, smoky voice beamed from off screen. “You nearly there?” 

“Yeah, we’re about ten minutes out,” he chirped. “Spirits, did a bomb hit your cabin or something?” 

“What? Oh, no,” she tittered. “I couldn’t decide what to wear. I’m almost ready, though.”

“I’ll admit, I’m a little relieved,” he teased. “I half expected you to turn up in that tattered jumper and those fluffy shoes you’re strangely attached to.” 

“They’re called slippers, Big Guy,” she corrected. “You turians may like to strut around in your armour 24/7 and that’s fine, but.. us humans like to be cosy.” 

The speakers picked up the faint sound of her huffing quiet curses at something or other and he couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You know, you can be pretty clumsy, Shepard. Maybe wearing your armour all the time wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

“Hey! I’m not clumsy!” 

Barely seconds after she finished speaking, a startled yelp rang through the shuttle, accompanied by a harmony of crashes and thuds.

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “You were saying?”

“..shut it.” 

“Are you alright?” he asked, trying to stifle his laughter.

“Yeah,” she huffed. “Just been a while since I’ve worn heels, these damn straps are more complicated than rewiring the Mako.” 

He didn’t have the faintest clue what she was talking about so, he just opted to skip past it. 

“Right..” he droned. “So, you wanna run through the plan one last time?” 

“ _Again?_ We’ve been over this like three times since breakfast, Blue.” 

“Humour me.” 

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Are you gonna insist on doing this before every mission? If so, I may have to start recording myself so I can just play it back to you instead of repeating myself fifty times a day.” 

“Shepard, I just want us to be careful here,” he said sincerely. “We have no idea what’s waiting for us at this party and it’ll only be the two of us. Ms. Goto may well be skilled but, she’s still a thief. Doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence that she’s a trustworthy teammate.” 

“Given what Hackett and Anderson have asked of us.. I think the same could be said of you and I, Blue,” she countered. 

She had a point. Their impromptu meeting with the Alliance Admirals earlier this morning revealed that there was more to this recovery mission than was first assumed. Ms. Goto's late partner, Mr Okuda, was suspected to have once worked for the Alliance Intelligence Agency under an alias before embracing his thieving lifestyle. As such, his graybox was believed to contain potentially incriminating Alliance secrets. Ones that could prove detrimental if released. So, whilst the main objective of today was to help Ms. Goto, they were under orders to ensure the graybox was destroyed once it had been recovered. It was highly unlikely that the thief was going to be best pleased when she found out. They’d just have to cross that bridge when they came to it. 

“I see your point,” he conceded. “But, those are two very different circumstances, Shepard..” 

“Well, I still don’t like it,” she mumbled almost nonsensically. 

He tapped the screen a couple of times with his gloved finger, making sure it wasn’t just a glitch. 

“Okay, are we losing signal or are you actually talking like that?” 

“Sorry,” she chuckled off-screen using her normal voice. “I was just doing my lipstick. It’s like using a sniper rifle, you only get one shot so you gotta nail it.” 

_What on Palaven is lipstick?_

“Uh huh.. well, good luck with that. Anyway, enough changing the subject,” he chided. “So, tell me.. what is your name?” 

“Ugh,” he heard her groan. “My name’s Willow Riley.” 

“Good.. now, who are you? What do you do?” 

“I am the Queen of the fucking galaxy!” she yelled triumphantly. “I sail across the stars in a chariot of fire, and lure in helpless men like the sirens of old, bewitching them to do my bidding until the end of time! **MUAHAHAHA!** ” 

Garrus shook his head tiresomely, chuckling to himself as her dramatic, malevolent cackling chorused around him. Spirits, she was such a weirdo. He could hear the shuttle pilot laughing away in the front seat, just as entertained by her quirky ways. 

“Well, it’s an honour to meet you, your majesty,” he teased.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” she said in an exaggerated posh tone. 

“Now, let’s say that the guests at this party aren’t as open minded as Lieutenant Cortez and myself.. what would your answer be, then?”

“I would sayyyyy.. that I am the founder and leader of Luna Crest; a well established 'private security firm' i.e mercenary group based within the Sol System. I’m the top dog, the big kahuna.. the godfather, if you will.”

“There we go,” he chuckled. “Now.. who am I?”

“Yer a wizard, Garrus,” she teased.

“I’m sorry.. I'm a what?”

Suddenly, the whole shuttle practically echoed with her howling laughter blasting through the speakers. Even though he couldn’t see her, he could just picture her doubled over and clutching desperately at her stomach just as she always did when something particularly tickled her.

“Oh, Big Guy,” she said between laughing breaths. “You have no idea how perfect that was. God damn, I’m dying over here.” 

“Shepard..”

“Right, sorry,” she tittered, taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure. “Okay, so.. _you_ , sir, are Mr Tullus Vedrix; an infamous bounty hunter with a penchant for the corrupt indulgences that the galaxy has to offer.”

“Very good,” he purred. “And, when you get to the rendezvous point..?”

“..I stand by the terminal booths and wait for Ms. Goto,” she finished.

“Approaching the drop off point now, sir,” Cortez cut in.

“You got it,” he replied to the Lieutenant. “Right, that’s my cue, Shepard. Providing everything goes as planned, I’ll have Ms. Goto patch you into our comm channel when she collects you and we’ll go from there, alright?”

“Perfect,” she beamed. “Good luck, Big Guy. Try to save some of the fun for when I get there.” 

“Hmm.. no promises,” he teased. “See you soon.” 

“Bye, Blue,” she chuckled. 

He disconnected the call and moved over to the doors as they neared the skycar parking lot. Just a quick glance around told you everything you needed to know about Bekenstein; money. A hell of a lot of it. There wasn’t a single vehicle parked in the lot that looked to be worth less than half a million credits. Several well presented valets tended to their lavish looking clients, no doubt receiving some pretty hefty tips for their services. It was already easy to see why this place was considered the planet of wealth. Though it was no secret that it hadn’t become as such through innocent means, the galaxy’s worst had a tendency to congregate here to flourish their ill-gotten gains. Just another collection of criminal assholes, merely cloaked beneath their fancy attire. 

Garrus braced himself a little as the shuttle landed, opening the door to be instantly hit with the chaotic sounds of bustling city life. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he said sincerely. 

“No problem, sir,” Cortez replied. “I’ll get Shepard here as quick as possible. Be safe out there.”

“Copy that.”

He readied himself to step out, halting a moment before he did so. 

“Lieutenant.. when you drop Shepard off, just hang around a while, would you? Discreetly, of course. Don’t want her getting herself into any trouble before she even gets to the party.” 

“I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to mess with the queen of the galaxy,” the shuttle pilot teased. “Don’t worry, Captain, I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she’s safe until Ms. Goto comes back for her.” 

Well, apparently Cortez had seen right through him. Shepard was perfectly capable but, Garrus still didn’t like the idea of her hanging around on her own in a place like this.

“Appreciate it,” he said. “Fly safe, Lieutenant. I’ll be in touch when we’re needing a pick up.” 

With that, he hopped out of the shuttle onto the busy street, the door swiftly closing behind him. As the shuttle flew off, he ventured into the parking lot, glancing around to find his allocated meeting point. Just off to the left, he spotted the public terminal booths and headed towards them, appraising the people passing him by to see if any might be their potential new crew member. No one that seemed particularly roguish. 

As he neared the booths, a turian women walked purposely close as they crossed paths, sending lustful little purrs his way as she went. She was fairly attractive; ebony plates, a slender little frame draped in what looked to be incredibly expensive fabrics. If this had happened a month or so ago, he probably would've turned on the spot to fully admire her as she walked away. Maybe even stop her a while. Now, however, he didn’t even care enough to cast a second glance her way or return her subvocal advances. How times change.

He leaned against the outermost booth, waiting for.. whatever the hell was going to happen, feeling a little restless as he stood there. Usually he would have his visor to keep him occupied but, it was one of a kind, he couldn’t risk it being recognised. In the end, he found himself impatiently fidgeting and preening, his mind convincing him he’d already been there for hours. In reality, it had probably been about five or ten minutes, at most.

“Mr Vedrix,” came a female voice nearby, sounding as if it were being emitted through a speaker system. “Your skycar is waiting.” 

He looked around aimlessly, seeking the source of the voice. How the hell was he supposed to find this skycar when he was fucking surrounded by them? 

“Over here, Mr Vedrix,” the voice said again. 

As he followed the sound, his eyes landed on a silver skycar tucked away on it’s own in the corner, fairly certain that had to be the one. 

“There you go,” the voice teased as he began walking towards it.

Yep, definitely that one then. The closer he got, the more confused he was to see no one sitting in the car. Automated skycars were a thing for sure but, that definitely wasn’t a synthetic voice that had beckoned him over. As he reached the passenger door, he gave the interior a once over, still completely empty. Nevertheless, he opened the door and climbed into the seat, extending the chair back as far as it could go to give his legs a little breathing space.

_Spirits, did Shepard last sit here or something?_

As soon as he sat down, he knew he wasn’t alone. The scent wasn’t familiar but, it was definitely there. And definitely human. 

“Ms. Goto, I assume?” he teased, nonchalantly adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. 

Almost instantly, a cloak shimmered in the drivers seat before revealing a hooded woman in similar armour to what Shepard had worn. He couldn’t see much of the woman’s face, only a single purple streak down the middle of her bottom lip. 

“Damn,” she huffed mockingly. “I was hoping to surprise you.” 

“I figured,” he chirped. “Can’t trick a turian’s sense of smell, I’m afraid. Try again with Shepard.. and tune me in so I can hear it.”

“Deal,” the woman chuckled deviously. “Pleased to meet you, Spectre Vakarian.. I’m Kasumi Goto.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Goto,” he said sincerely, holding out his hand in invitation. “I understand not many are granted the pleasure.”

The nimble woman accepted the gesture, her lips cocking at the sides as she shook his hand. 

“Such measures are necessary in my line of work,” she offered. “Shall we?”

“Ready when you are,” he chirped. 

Kasumi brought the skycar to life, pulling out of the lot and heading away from the hectic city.

“How far is this mansion, anyway?” he asked after a while.

“Not far,” the thief offered. “Ten minutes.. maybe less. Hock lives right on the edge of Telsca Lake.. close enough to the city to keep his ear to the ground but, far enough away to avoid the noise.” 

The subtle bitterness lacing her words at the mention of Hock's name had been just enough for to Garrus to pick up on. 

“Makes sense,” he said, opting not to push further. “You’re sure he’ll know of us?” 

“Oh yes,” she assured him. “I’ve provided yourself and Miss Shepard with fake papers, witnesses.. even articles in Bad Ass weekly. Miss Riley and Mr Vedrix have quite the reputation now.. Hock will respect that.” 

“Impressive.” 

“I’m very good at what I do,” Kasumi said with a wicked grin. 

“So I’ve heard,” he replied. “So, what’s the plan once we’re all inside?” 

“Keiji's graybox is in the basement vault where Hock keeps his collection of precious artefacts,” she explained. “The entrance to the vault is located somewhere beneath the ballroom with several security measures in place to prevent unwanted access. Together, the three of us will peel away those layers until we can get inside. It’s custom for guests to bring a gift to the host, so, your weapons and armour have been stashed inside a life-size, golden statue of Overlord Kredak that Hock won’t be able to resist. It’ll be taken straight down to the vault when we arrive, you’ll be able to retrieve your things once we’re there.” 

Overlord Kredak. The name rang a bell from the Spectre exams and history lessons at school. Kredak was the representative of his species at the time of the krogan rebellions, his actions of defying the Councils orders effectively marking the start of the war. Given what Garrus had heard about Hock so far, his interest in such a historical figure didn’t seem so farfetched. 

“This Hock sounds like quite the character,” he mused. 

“Well, other than having no qualms about cracking a man’s skull open for the neural implant inside.. he’s just fine,” the thief replied indignantly. 

The subtle bitterness in her tone had shifted to pure hatred. Garrus got the feeling that Kasumi's relationship with her late partner had been more than just a shared passion for looting. If that’s the case.. spirits, this was going to be harder than he thought. 

The view as they ventured closer to their destination couldn’t have been more opposite to the city they’d just departed. It was stunningly picturesque. Lush fields of vibrant green, lined with hundreds of trees all in bloom. He could see what had to be Telsca Lake at the centre of the rural landscape, it’s waters beautifully clear as strange looking animals gathered around the edges to quench their thirst. At the far corner of the lake sat a huge mansion that appeared to be made of nothing but glass, the reflection of the sunlight almost blinding should your gaze linger too long. 

_Here we go.._

“I’ll have to keep myself hidden from now on,” Kasumi said finally, cloaking herself. “If Hock sees me with both of you, he’ll suspect something isn’t quite right.” 

“Noted,” he acknowledged. 

“Alright,” she said as they neared the vast driveway. “Here we go..” 

As they pulled in, Garrus let out a short laugh at the sheer magnitude of this place. It was huge, and undeniably stunning. The amount of blood money that Hock must have poured into this lavish home.. spirits, it didn’t bear thinking about. The golden replica of Overlord Kredak was already waiting by the entrance, Ms. Goto must have arranged for it to be couriered prior to their arrival. 

He climbed out of the skycar and headed for the doors, quickly noticing the Eclipse soldiers parading the grounds from the forecourt all the way up to the upper balconies. He was starting to understand Ms. Goto’s recommendation to bring a sidearm. As he approached the steps, an Eclipse soldier appeared beside him and began scanning the statue. He had to play it cool, any sign of hesitance could give the game away. Suddenly, a human male emerged from the entryway to the home, waving the guard off. The guy reeked of superiority and terrible cologne.. this had to be Hock. 

“Is there a problem here?” the man asked the guard, using an unfamiliar accent. 

“No, Mr Hock,” the guard replied. “Just doing a scan as per protocol.” 

The sour-faced man stood before Garrus, hands clasped behind his back as he eyed him suspiciously.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said flatly. “Donovan Hock.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr Hock. Name's Tullus Vedrix,” Garrus said in greeting, holding out his hand. 

The man looked at Garrus' hand in disgust, as if he’d just offered him a still-beating heart. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t accept the gesture. 

“And I’ve heard a lot about you,” Hock replied curiously. “You’ve been very busy lately, Mr Vedrix, if the extranet is to be believed.” 

“Sir, the scanners aren’t picking anything up,” the guard interjected. 

Hock approached the statue, appraising it from head to toe. 

“Hmm,” he mused. “I don’t think our friend here would come all the way from Omega just to cause trouble. Do you?” 

The guard merely shrugged in reply, making the wealthy smuggler shake his head in displeasure. 

“You may pass through, Mr Vedrix,” Hock said finally. “You were invited, after all.”

“Thank you,” Garrus replied with a single nod. 

He travelled up the stairs and through the entrance, feeling Hock's watchful eye following him every step of the way. Whether a life of crime had caused him to be eternally suspicious or if he suspected something was amiss, Garrus had no clue. Either way, they’d have to be careful here. As soon as he was through the doors, the cloaked thief pulled the skycar out of the driveway to retrieve Shepard. Now he just had to wait. 

“Phew, that was close,” came Kasumi’s voice through the radio comm. “I thought he almost had you there.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” he mumbled quietly, steadily delving deeper into the ballroom. 

“Well, just enjoy the party for now and keep yourself inconspicuous. I’ll let you know once I’m back at the rendezvous point.”

“Noted.” 

The static dissipated as Kasumi cut off the comm, and Garrus did just as she instructed. Whilst he had no taste for the man himself or the company he kept, he could appreciate the beauty of Hock’s home. There were stunning sculptures and paintings spread throughout the ballroom, plenty to peruse to keep him busy. Though the snippets of conversations he could pick out amongst the other guests left something to be desired. Whilst these people certainly _looked_ upper class, their mentality was anything but. The setting made it easy to forget that they were all still just jumped up criminals, gathered together to brag over their many corrupt deeds. How satisfying it would be to reveal his true identity and watch them crumble. Oh well.. another time, perhaps. 

When his comm began to crackle a little, he subtly crept away from the bulk of the crowd so as not to be overheard. 

“Okay,” Kasumi said. “I’m here. No one at the terminal booths yet. What does your partner look like?”

_Oh, Ms. Goto, now that is a question.._

“Trust me,” he replied. “You’ll know her when you see her. Just don’t be surprised if she turns up in her pyjamas.”

“What? You told her this was a fancy party, right?” Kasumi snickered. “Hold on.. there’s a shuttle pulling in now..”

He waited almost anxiously for her to say more, getting increasingly edgy as the quiet lingered on. 

“Oh, wow,” the thief gushed finally. “Yes, I think we can safely assume that’s our girl.. and those are _definitely_ not pyjamas.”

“That’s a relief,” he teased. 

“Miss Riley,” he heard the thief call out, the echo of the speakers crackling through his comm. “Your skycar is waiting.” 

A few moments of silence. 

“Yes, you,” she insisted, laughing a little. “Over here, Miss Riley.”

“Is she coming over?”

“Yeah, hopefully I’ll get a better reaction this time,” she said mischievously. “Alright, stay quiet. Here she comes..”

Another lingering silence. Eventually, he heard a door open and shut and felt a grin spread across his face in anticipation. 

“Uh.. hello?” he heard Shepard say.

“Hello, Shepard,” Kasumi said finally, presumably uncloaking herself at the same time.

“ **SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS!** ” 

Spirits, it took everything he had to hold in the laughter. For someone so stoic, she startled so damn easily sometimes. Whenever she would come to visit him in the Main Battery, he could always smell her scent before she even walked through the doors. So, he often liked to hide and make her jump as she came in, erupting with laughter at the sight of her shooting into the air like a pyjak on stims. It never got old.. not for him, anyway. 

“You were right,” Kasumi tittered. “Her reaction was much better.” 

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” he joked. “I can practically hear her pouting right now.”

“That you, Vakarian?” he heard Shepard say, not sounding particularly impressed.

“Hang on, I’ll patch you in,” Kasumi offered. 

The comm beeped in his ear as the thief tuned Shepard into their radio channel. The echo effect of hearing both of them whilst they were next to each other was a little disorienting. 

“God damn,” came Shepard’s voice. “Scared the shit out of me.” 

“It was everything I hoped it would be and more,” he teased.

“Let me guess, you sniffed Ms. Goto out before she could get you, huh?” 

“Yes, he did,” Kasumi pouted. “Rather spoilt my fun.”

“Yeah, it’s like being friends with a damn bloodhound sometimes,” Shepard huffed. “Anyway, minor heart attacks aside.. it’s nice to meet you, Ms. Goto. I’m Shepard.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Shepard,” the thief chirped. “You look amazing.. nicely done. I was told to expect a much more casual look.” 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” she replied. “You need to have a little faith, Blue.” 

As Garrus looked around, he could see the other guests nearby beginning to eye him curiously as time went on. He doubted they could hear him.. maybe they just thought he was a crazy guy talking to himself in the corner, trying to maintain a casual front as he slowly veered away. 

“Listen,” he cut in as the pair nattered away in his ear. “I’ve gotta cut this short, don’t want to appear antisocial in front of the other guests. I’ll call you later, alright?”

He disconnected his comm before they could reply, knowing full well Shepard would understand the hidden meaning. It wouldn’t take long for them to get here so, he opened up his Omni-Tool to send her a quick message. 

_(* G.V: - Sorry, too many people listening. Be careful, looks like Hock’s got Eclipse in his pocket. They’re everywhere. I’ll be waiting on the balcony, come find me when you get here. Oh.. and don’t try to shake his hand. Apparently he’s not much of a toucher.*)_

“Champagne, sir?” came a nasally voice. 

The human waiter had somehow managed to creep up beside him whilst he was otherwise preoccupied, a tray of fresh drinks in hand. 

“Oh, uh.. are they..?” 

“This is dextro champagne, sir,” the waiter confirmed. “Mr Hock has provided a variety of spectacular canapés and refreshments to cater to his dextro-amino guests.” 

“Oh, well.. thank you,” he said, claiming one of the flutes from the tray. “That’s very accommodating of him.” 

“Indeed, sir,” the human replied, nodding his head. “Enjoy the rest of your visit.” 

The waiter gracefully walked away, heading for the turian woman in elegant robes at the far side of the room. Garrus took a curious sip of the champagne.. it wasn’t particularly pleasant but, certainly nicer than the cheaper grade stuff. Though a nice glass of scotch or brandy would have been very well received. Now he was alone again, he opened his Omni-Tool to check Shepard’s reply, smiling to himself as he read her message.

_(* E.S: - Maybe Hock’s got his own rules in place, huh? Don’t worry, we’ll be careful. Sounds like this party could be fun after all. See you soon, Big Guy. I’ll be the one in unicorn PJs.*)_

Once he was through the glass doors and walking down the balcony steps, a wave of fresh air and the pleasant scents of nature washed over him. Picking this spot was the right call, it was much quieter out here. At a quick glance, maybe five or six other guests, all huddled in little groups as the gossip flowed. He leaned against the balustrade away from the others, taking in the stunning rural vista ahead. Spirits, it was a beautiful view. Throughout his military life, he’d seen so many worlds, all vastly different from one another.. though he’d never really stopped to actually look and appreciate the details. 

In this rare moment of quiet, he found his mind drifting to his home and his family. His mother was always happiest when tending to her garden, forever preening and planting new flowers. Before her health had declined, that’s where you’d find her. Happily singing to herself as she tended to her tulipas, caring for them with as much love as she did her family. Spirits, she’d love it here. Once upon a time, he could have brought her to places like this, but.. not anymore. He made a mental note to call Solana when the mission was through, it had been a while since he’d last checked in. Too long. He really needed to work on that. 

After pondering these guilty thoughts for far too long, he shook his head a little in an attempt to coax them away, taking a few hefty sips of his champagne. The sound of the glass doors opening and closing came from behind him, followed by the scent of vanilla and cinnamon being swept along with the breeze. 

_Welcome to the party, Miss Riley.._

He kept his gaze fixed in front of him until he caught her in his peripheral vision at the far end of the balustrade, sipping her champagne as she took in the stunning landscape ahead. He took a quick glance her way and instantly did a double-take, his mandibles damn near hitting the floor. 

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

She was wearing a tiny black dress that tightly embraced every sensual curve, an unmistakable outline of a pistol at her thigh and little ruched sleeves cuffing her upper arms that left her neck and shoulders complete bare. Her hair had been secured back into a sort of loose ball shape, with several sections hanging free in long, snowy spirals. The strappy, pointed shoes she wore gave the impression that she was deceptively taller, and emphasised those slender, toned legs in all the right ways. By the spirits, she looked.. _un-fucking-real._

Logic told him that patience was the best option here. Wait a beat before going over there. Screw that, he sure as hell wasn’t waiting around. He necked back the last of his drink and made his way towards her, noticing the subtle smirk on her face as he did. Spirits, he felt nervous. That fidgety itch tingling through his talons. Why was he getting so damn flustered? 

_Get a hold of yourself. It’s Shepard for spirits sake. Relax._

He came to stand beside her, leaning an arm against the balustrade. She simply smirked a little more, looking out across the lake as she took another sip from her glass. 

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” she asked with her sultry voice, not taking her eyes off the horizon. 

“It most certainly is,” he purred. 

She turned to face him head on, mimicking his position. Spirits, she looked absolutely phenomenal. The dark shading and lines around her eyes made them look even bolder, and this new crimson shade of her lips looked incredibly striking against her ivory complexion. 

“Tullus Vedrix,” he rumbled with a devilish grin. “And.. _you_ are?”

“Ah, Mr Vedrix.. I’ve heard a lot about you,” she purred. “I’m Willow Riley, pleased to meet you.” 

She held out her hand in greeting and he accepted, opting for a different tactic than a simple handshake. 

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Riley,” he purred, leaning down to press his lips to her hand. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she said enticingly. “How are you enjoying the party so far?” 

His eyes not so subtly travelled down her body, admiring how the incredibly fitting style of her dress complimented her delectable little form. His gaze lingered a moment at her chest, the ruched fabric there just about concealing her shapely breasts and displaying them ever so nicely. Spirits, they really were distracting. 

“I’m enjoying it a hell of a lot more than I was about five minutes ago,” he said mischievously, meeting her eye once more. 

Suddenly, the two of them startled a little as their comms activated, emitting a slight static before Kasumi’s voice came through. 

“Okay, I’ve found the entrance to the vault,” she began. “If you come back inside and head to the right of the ballroom, there’s a flight of stairs leading down to the lower level. Come find me when you’re ready.” 

“Noted,” Garrus acknowledged. 

He extended the crook of his arm and gestured in invitation.

“Well, Miss Riley.. would you care to join me?” 

“Why, Mr Vedrix,” she boasted, accepting the offer. “It would be my honour.” 

He chuckled a little as they headed for the balcony doors, thoroughly enjoying how this mission was playing out so far. 

“We should probably look around a little first, don’t you think?” she whispered. “Might look a bit obvious if we just head straight down there.” 

“Good idea.” 

As they reached the top of the steps, he stopped just short of the doors and leaned in to whisper in her ear, muting his radio comm for a moment. 

“You look beautiful, by the way.”

She glanced up to meet his eye, a soft smile spreading across her features as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. 

“Thanks, Big Guy,” she said just as quietly. 

When they got inside, they took a few minutes to casually meander around and explore some of the many artworks on display. Fully embracing their new personas and chatting as if they’d only just met.. turns out Mr Vedrix and Miss Riley hit it off just as easily. As they slowly worked their way towards the stairs, he could hear the gossiping whispers that followed them. The pair had become somewhat of a focal point, with guests speculating as to their relationship in between compliments of them making for such an attractive couple. Honestly? He liked it. After all the hiding and restrictions.. it felt good. 

They ventured down to the lower level, continuing down the hallway until they found the vault entrance. Very expensive looking security equipment filled the room but, no sign of the thief. Well.. no visual sign, at least. But.. she was definitely here.

“Uh.. Ms. Goto?” Shepard queried, stepping in ahead of him and searching around. 

“I wouldn’t recommend pulling the same trick twice,” Garrus offered mischievously. 

“What are you talking abou-" 

Before Shepard could finish speaking, the thief uncloaked herself suddenly as she stood mere inches away.

“I’ll take my chances,” the thief chirped.

“Great Merlin's beard!” Shepard exclaimed, jumping out of her skin. “Christ, you’re just as bad as him!”

Both Garrus and Kasumi chuckled away at the sight of the frazzled Commander. Not best pleased, she folded her arms across her chest and sunk into her hip, narrowing those piercing blue eyes at the two of them. 

“It’s fine, it’s cool,” she said casually, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ll get my own back, don’t you worry.” 

“Told you,” Garrus teased. 

“It was worth it,” Kasumi said deviously. 

“I should hope so because, the payback’s gonna be a bitch,” Shepard said with a sly smile. “Now, let’s see what we’re dealing with here..”

She studied each security terminal in turn, opening her Omni-Tool to scan them for further data.

“This is gonna be a lot to get through,” she mused. “Password protected voice lock, kinetic barrier, DNA Scanner..”

“Yep. It’s a good one, too. Looks like an Ex-700 series,” Kasumi finished, moving to stand beside her. “This vault was designed to be impenetrable.” 

“Well, isn’t that just ‘kick you in the nuts’ fantastic,” Shepard huffed. “Are we gonna be able to do this?” 

“Please,” Kasumi scoffed. “Remember who you’re talking to. We’ll need to get a voice sample for the voice lock.. one of you will need to go and chat up Hock for that. We’ll need to find the password, too. Finding the DNA? That’s child’s play. There should be plenty of DNA samples in Hock’s private quarters.”

“And the barrier?” Garrus asked. 

Kasumi turned to face the garish, orange grid of lasers barring the way, folding her arms across her chest.

“We cut the power,” she said finally. “Never fails.. if we can find it. Keiji could get through a system like this in his sleep. And I’m better.” 

“Sounds like you guys made quite a team,” Shepard said sincerely. 

“We did,” the thief said with a mixture of sadness and pride. 

“So.. where do we go from here?” Garrus said, trying to divert the topic away from the uncomfortable. 

“Well, Ms. Goto will have to stay hidden for the most part,” Shepard began. “Hock thought she looked a little shifty when we arrived and turned her away so, if she's spotted party crashing, we’re screwed.” 

“..that’s reassuring,” Garrus huffed. 

“Relax, Big Guy,” she chirped. “We’ll just have to be careful. I think it’s best if we split up for now. If you wanna focus on finding a way to cut the power for the barrier, I’ll see if I can get Hock talking and keep him distracted..” 

“Good idea,” Kasumi replied. “Out of the two you, I think you’re going to have more luck keeping him occupied.” 

“What are you trying to say, Ms. Goto?” Garrus gasped in mock offense. 

“Aww, don’t worry, Blue,” Shepard teased, patting him on the shoulder as she passed. “I think you look very pretty.”

“Shepard, you’re gonna make me blush,” he joked.

“You two aren’t anything like I expected,” Kasumi tittered as she followed them out. “I think this is gonna be fun.” 

“Damn right it is,” Shepard beamed.

Once they were all standing in the hallway, she turned on the spot to face them, grinning with the same excitement that he felt. 

“So.. I’ll go and catch up with Mr Fancy Pants while you work out how to cut the power.. deal?”

“Mmhmm,” Garrus confirmed. “Good luck, Miss Riley.” 

“You too, Mr Vedrix,” she chuckled, giving him an exaggerated bow. “Let me know when you’re done.” 

With that, she headed off for the stairs to the ballroom, the tall shoes she wore putting an extra sway into her hips as she slinked away. He hadn’t realised quite how long he’d been watching until he heard the hooded woman clear her throat purposefully beside him, tentatively looking over to be met with a devious, knowing smile. 

“I was just, uh..” he mumbled awkwardly. “Right, the power.. yes. Let’s, uh.. get on with it, shall we?” 

“After you,” Kasumi snickered, apparently enjoying the sight of him in this bumbling state. 

As they made their way down the opposite end of the hallway, he spotted a power cable running along the lower wall nearby.

“Hey, check this out..”

“Hmm,” Kasumi mused. “Looks like the barrier’s power cable runs under the floor here..”

She opened up her Omni-Tool, typing in several commands until his own beeped a couple of times in response. 

“What did you just do?”

"I’ve set up your Omni-Tool to scan for electromagnetic fields,” she explained. “Try it.”

As soon as he moved nearer to the power cable, it began to emit an orange glow, clearly showing the path it followed up the stairs. 

“Nice work,” he said sincerely. “Should make things a lot easier.” 

“Just follow it to the source and turn off the power grid,” she urged. “I need to find a good spot to get a clear voice sample.”

He nodded in confirmation as she cloaked herself, only a hint of a shimmer showing as she ran off. 

The orange light emanating from the cable lead him up the stairs and into the ballroom, veering off towards the little gallery in the far corner. He glanced over to see Shepard and Hock stood chatting by the water sculpture, and it appeared even _he_ couldn’t resist the allure of the white haired beauty before him. Hardly surprising, especially while she looked like _that_. Hock summoned a waiter over with a click of his fingers, retrieving a glass of champagne for the both of them before they clinked their drinks together in cheers. Whatever Shepard said to him next had worked like an absolute charm because, he began to unveil this loud, pretentious speech that had riled the masses, making his guests all congregate towards him to marvel at his delusions of grandeur.. leaving the gallery very much abandoned. 

“Excellent work, Miss Riley,” he purred, slipping into the empty room unnoticed.

The cables carried on until they finished at a little bookshelf built into the wall. Not knowing what else to do, he fiddled with the books one by one to search for anything lurking behind them, the sound of Hock’s obnoxious voice still resounding throughout the hall. 

_Spirits, someone certainly loves the sound of their own voice._

Eventually, he came to a book with a worn, blood red cover that made a clicking noise as soon as he attempted to pull it out. A quiet, whirring hum emanated from the shelf as it slid forward slightly and slowly drifted to the side, revealing the power grid beneath.

_Gotcha._

Spirits, the man was _still_ talking but, he couldn’t go on forever.. hopefully. There was only going to be one quick way to get this done so, Garrus opened his Omni-Tool, lowered the power settings for an Overload and charged it right into the grid. The thing crackled and shot out sparks of electricity every which way as little puffs of smoke started leaking out.

_That ought to do it._

Moments later, the hall sang with a chorus of whooping cheers and enthusiastic applause as Hock finished his tedious speech. At this point, Garrus wouldn’t be surprised if they were simply celebrating it’s conclusion. He certainly was. 

“Okay, I think I’ve done it,” he said. 

“Looks like it,” came Kasumi’s voice through the comm. “Well done. And you too, Shepard. You sure got him talking, alright. Should be more than enough here to work with.” 

“Thank christ for that, I don’t think I could do it again,” came Shepard’s reply. “At one point I was seriously debating chewing off my own fingers just to relieve the boredom.” 

“As if you even could with those blunt little teeth,” Garrus teased, being mindful of the couple now entering the gallery. “So.. what now?” 

“We need to get that DNA and the password for the voice lock,” Kasumi urged. “I know where to find the password so, leave that with me. You take care of the DNA samples.” 

“How do you propose we do that?” he asked.

“There’s a guard manning the door to Hock’s private quarters, you’ll need to find a way past him to get in. I think Miss Riley may be our best bet..” 

“Me?” Shepard asked. “Why?”

“That guard has been checking you out since we got here, Shepard. I can see him doing it right now. I think you should go over and introduce yourself, see if you can encourage him to let you in..” she said mischievously.

“I doubt he’s just gonna let me in if I ask him,” Shepard scoffed. 

“Well, you may have to do a little more than that..” Kasumi teased.

Garrus didn’t much care for the direction this was taking. He moved to stand in the archway leading back into the ballroom, giving him a clear view of the human guard manning the door. The thief was right, the man’s gaze was very much focused on Shepard as she hovered further down the foyer admiring the artworks on display. 

“What? No,” she huffed in a whisper, sneakily glancing over at the guard. “He’s not even my type..” 

_No kidding.._

“No one’s saying you have to sleep with him, Shep,” Kasumi chuckled. “You just have to let him think he _could_ if he let’s you into that room. Just flirt with him a little bit, maybe let him cop a feel..”

“I’m sorry,” Garrus interjected. “What on Palaven is a copper fill?” 

“Not ‘copper fill’,” Shepard snorted. “Cop. A. Feel. She's suggesting I let him touch my ass, or give him a quick peek at the girls. Y’know, that kinda thing..”

“Exactly,” the thief replied. “Totally harmless but, very effective.”

_Yeah.. not a fucking chance._

“I see,” Garrus replied. “Well, in that case.. Ms. Goto, why don’t you see to finding the password and we’ll take care of the DNA.” 

“Alright, well, just be careful.. we don’t want any trouble,” the thief urged. “Not yet, anyway. I’ll let you know once I’ve found what we need.” 

“Noted.”

With that, he headed straight for Shepard as she studied the huge portrait hanging on the wall nearby. Once he stopped beside her, he nudged her with his elbow to get her attention and extended his arm in invitation.

“Come with me,” he said quietly.

“Where are we going?” 

“Getting you into that room.”

“Uh.. okay,” she said hesitantly, linking her arm through his. 

He muted his comm and pointed to his ear, silently signalling for her to do the same. She looked confused as hell but, followed suit nonetheless.

“Just follow my lead, alright?” he whispered, leaning in close. 

She nodded in reply as he lead them over towards the door, putting on his best game face as they approached the guard.

“Can I help you, Mr Vedrix?” the human asked, his gaze drifting towards Shepard just a little too often. 

“You’ve heard of me?”

“Oh yeah,” the guard gushed. “I’m a huge fan of your work, sir.”

“Well, someone’s gotta do it,” he joked, waving a hand dismissively. “Spirits, how rude of me.. have you met Miss Riley?” 

“Uh.. no, I haven’t,” the guard replied, a little flustered now he was so close to the woman he’d just been gawping at from afar. “It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Riley. I’m Jerry Samuels.” 

Shepard stepped forward somewhat hesitantly, offering her hand in greeting, to which the guard eagerly accepted. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr Samuels,” she replied.

It seemed she was still under the impression that Garrus had come to her aid to act as a support function, simply putting her at ease as she won the guard over. Well, he quashed that notion pretty damn swiftly, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close to him. Finally, she realised what he was _actually_ doing.. and now that she understood, he felt her let the tension go, completely relaxing beneath his hand. 

“You see, Mr Samuels,” Garrus rumbled. “Miss Riley and I.. well, we’ve taken quite a liking to each other. Haven’t we, gorgeous?” 

He leaned down to press feather-light kisses along the delicate skin of her shoulder, a quiet giggle escaping her as she gripped his arm just a little tighter. Fuck, he’d missed this feeling.

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled, sighing blissfully. “Very much so.”

“We’d really like some time to get better acquainted in a more private setting, if you catch my meaning,” he purred, nuzzling into her neck. “Is that something you could help us with?” 

She rested her head against his chest, enjoying this momentary break from their tedious set of rules as much as he was. The guard struggled to focus the more he watched her.. which was exactly what Garrus had been counting on. Shepard was distracting at the best of times but, even more so like this. If allowing this guy a good look at her was what it took to get inside then, so be it. But, there was no way in hell he was touching her unless he wanted rid of his stubby little fingers afterwards. 

“I, uh.. I mean.. I _guess_ you could use Mr Hock’s quarters..” he said hesitantly, unable to take his eyes off her. “But.. I dunno, sir. I’ll be in deep shit if the boss finds out.” 

“Jerry, in my line of work, you find that discretion is of the utmost importance,” he assured the guard. “If you could do this for us, I would be indebted to you.” 

The guard looked around the ballroom cautiously in between glances at the door and his present company. 

“Well.. alright,” he said finally, running his fingers through his short, fair hair. “But, if anyone catches you, you’re on your own. For all I know, you broke in through the window to get in there.” 

Shepard turned to face him, a sly smile upon her lips and that twinkle of mischief shining through in her eyes. 

“Of course. Thank you,” Garrus said sincerely. “I’ll ensure Mr Hock is made aware of what an invaluable asset you are to his team.” 

“Oh, uh.. thank you, sir,” the guard said gratefully. “That means a lot coming from you.”

The human paused a moment, opening his Omni-Tool to unlock the door. Eventually, the lock flashed to green and the guard stepped aside, looking around to ensure the coast was clear.

“There you go,” he said. “Just try not to break anything in there or I’m a dead man..”

“Thank you, Jerry,” Shepard said with her sexiest voice, winking at the guard. “We owe you one.” 

The doors whooshed open as she began slinking backwards into the room. 

“N-No problem, Ma'am,” the guy stuttered, clearing his throat. 

Garrus opened his mouth to offer one last sentiment of gratitude but, his attention shifted elsewhere when warm little hands gripped onto the front of his tunic and yanked him through the threshold.

“Come on, handsome,” she purred. “You’re coming with me..” 

They both laughed mischievously as he wrapped his arms around her and ushered her further in, the guard giving Garrus a look that said ‘you’re one lucky bastard’ as the doors closed between them. Spirits, was he right. Once they were alone, however, the atmosphere shifted to something much more intense. The laughter simmered down as they stood there, reluctant to release their hold on one another. 

“Thanks for helping me out, Big Guy,” she said after a while. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” he said, humming softly. “I figured you might feel more comfortable with someone familiar..”

“You mean.. someone who’s more my type?” 

“Well.. you said it, not me,” he teased, idly caressing the small of her back. “But, I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind..” 

“I thought it might have,” she chuckled. “Well, you were right.. I much prefer your idea.” 

She certainly wasn’t alone there. Imagining her in here with that scrawny little human, desperate to get his hands all over.. spirits, it made his blood boil just thinking about it.

“Yeah,” he rumbled, his mandibles pulling tight against his jaw. “You and me both.” 

Her attention shifted to his formal wear, curiously studying his new look now they were behind closed doors. A smile spread across those crimson lips as her hands stroked across his chest, affectionately smoothing out the creases in his tunic. 

“You clean up nice, Blue,” she said softly, smiling up at him. “You look so handsome.” 

Sometimes, she just had a way of saying things with such sincerity that they were a little overwhelming to take. He still wasn’t used to it. 

“Well.. thank you,” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “Although, shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Red’ now?” 

He pointed to the new, crimson clan markings he’d given himself to compliment his disguise, a little surprised that she hadn’t mentioned it already. It felt quite strange to be wearing them but, it was a necessary precaution. Vakarian was an old and well-respected name, any Palavenian turians at this party would have recognised his real markings instantly. 

“Hmm.. no,” she said sweetly, shaking her head. “You’ll always be my Blue.” 

“Shepard, I..”

He was lost for words. What should he say to that? What _could_ he say to that? 

Their eyes locked for long moments, the energy lingering between them feeling so intense it was almost impossible to ignore. 

_Just do it.._

Did she even want him to? What if he went for it and she turned him away? Spirits, that would be awkward as hell. Ugh, this is one of the times where he wished she had subharmonics, it would make things so much easier. Though, it seemed his internal debate had gone on for longer than expected.. 

“Well,” she said finally, sighing in defeat. “We should probably get searching, huh?” 

“Uh.. yeah,” he said, a little deflated. “I guess we should.”

_Well, there was your chance.. and you blew it. Great job, you stupid turian._

She gave him that little sad smile as she begrudgingly backed off, turning away to venture further in. It was for the best, right? They’d already come so far. Giving in now would only make things harder. In the end, was it really worth it?

 _Are you crazy? Of course it is,_ he thought to himself in frustration. _Oh, screw it.._

“Shepard, wait..”

She turned to face him upon hearing her name.

“Hmm?” 

He closed the distance in an instant, not even thinking twice before he took her face in his hands and kissed her with everything he had. She froze on the spot for a split second before surrendering to her desire, her warm little hands gripping his tunic so damn tight to pull him close. It was nothing short of frantic, their mouths crashing together fiercely in their desperation. But, just as they started to lose themselves in the moment, she reluctantly broke the kiss and leaned back a little to meet his eye.

“Big Guy..” she said between her rapid breaths. “Is this really a good idea?”

“I think this is possibly the best idea I’ve ever had.”

“..what about Kasumi?”

He wrapped his arms around her and she returned in kind, her body defying the protests that her words were half-heartedly attempting to convey. 

“I think I’d rather have you to myself, if you don’t mind,” he purred.

He nuzzled into her neck, taking in her heavenly scent as he gently nibbled along her throat. With each touch, she would tilt her head a little more and quietly moan into his ear. Spirits, it was damn good to hear it again. 

“You know what I mean, Blue,” she said softly, clinging to him a little tighter.

“She can still reach us at any time,” he assured her. “If she runs into trouble, we’ll be there.” 

“And what about when we get back to the Normandy, hmm? What’s to stop someone from sniffing us out?” 

He straightened himself up to face her, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Spirits, he knew he should be more concerned about that but, all he could think about right now was how damn beautiful she looked. 

“As soon as we’re onboard, we stick together and head straight for the elevator,” he offered. “As long as we don’t hang around, our scents should be too confusing with us so close to one another for anyone to notice.”

She sighed a little as she quietly pondered her choice, caressing the hide of his neck until her hand rested against his cheek, her thumb stroking across tenderly. He wouldn’t push her if she didn’t want this but, he knew damn well that she did. He could smell it in her scent, see it in the wanting look in her eyes that he was all too familiar with. Everything they’d fought down for the past two weeks, the feelings they’d pushed aside.. they were all surfacing at once, compelling them to one another. 

“I’m gonna get lipstick all over you,” she warned, giggling softly as she smiled at him. 

“Is it gonna kill me?”

“What?” she chuckled. “No, of course not.” 

“Then I honestly couldn’t care less,” he growled, claiming her lips once more. 

They blindly ventured deeper into Hock’s luxurious quarters as their mouths collided, too focused on each other to pay attention to their unfamiliar surroundings. They came to an abrupt stop when Shepard suddenly bumped into something behind her, the pair finally noticing the counter that partitioned the bed and the steamy, bubbling hot tub. It gave him an idea.. so, he swiftly grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up to sit on the counter top, bringing her near on his eye level. Perfect. Just as he leaned in to kiss her again, she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Sorry,” she mumbled with an embarrassed grin. “One sec.” 

He watched curiously as she raised the hem of her dress enough to reveal the small Sidewinder pistol strapped to her upper thigh. It was.. incredibly fucking sexy. Spirits, he could feel his plates loosening already. 

“This is a disaster just waiting to happen,” she chuckled, removing it from its holster. She gave it the once over before casually offering it to him. “Could you please put this down somewhere?” 

He took the pistol from her grasp, merely chucking onto the bed nearby without a care.

“Well, I could have done _that_..” she teased, caressing up his chest. 

He shook his head in disbelief, quietly laughing to himself. 

“You are going to be the death of me, Shepard..” he sighed, a quiet hum lingering in his chest as he ran his hand along his fringe. 

“..what?” she chirped, shrugging her shoulders. “The safety’s on..”

“Yeah, that’s not what I meant,” he chuckled.

He set about removing his gloves and cast them aside carelessly, wanting to fully appreciate the feel of her beneath his hands again. He started at the soft skin of her thighs, slowly travelling up to her tiny little waist. Spirits, she felt so damn good. Even this was coaxing his cock from his plates all too easily. 

“Thing is, Shepard, you look pretty fucking incredible right now. Seeing you like this.. in your little dress.. with that gun strapped to your thigh..” he purred, caressing her breasts through the silky fabric. “Well, turns out it’s about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

She smirked at his remark, sensually stroking the hide of his neck. 

“Yeah? You like that, huh?” 

He could feel her nipples reacting to his touch as he continued to tease her, watching intently as they became far more prominent beneath her dress. 

“I most certainly do,” he purred. “More than I care to admit.”

“Want me to show you something you’ll like even more?” she said with a mischievous grin.

“Do I even need to answer?”

She raised her brows suggestively in reply, a sly smile spreading across her somewhat smudged, crimson lips. Her focus shifted to the bow on her dress that he’d previously assumed was purely ornamental.. oh, how wrong he was. Once she was finished fiddling with the knot, the pieces of fabric covering her chest fell loose, leaving her delectably large breasts completely unobscured. Well, that certainly did it.. now his trousers were _way_ too fucking tight. His hands gravitated towards her chest almost instantly, clutching at her breasts and teasing her soft, pink nipples between his fingers. A lustful growl rumbled in his chest, unbelievably turned on by the sight and feel of her. How they’d managed to last two weeks without this, he had no fucking clue. 

“What are you trying to do to me, hmm?” he rumbled.

“Well,” she purred. “It may have escaped your notice, Mr Vedrix, but.. we don’t have a lot of time..”

Her hands slowly trailed down his body, a smug grin emerging across her face once she felt him fully unsheathed and ready for her beneath his trousers. Those nimble little fingers of hers had the fastenings undone in a flash, a bestial snarl reverberating through him at the feeling of her warm little hand taking hold of his cock.

“..I think we should make the most of it,” she whispered, artfully pumping his length. “Don’t you?”

One of his hands left her chest, caressing up her throat until his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck, tenderly stroking her soft, ivory skin. 

“Miss Riley,” he replied, leaning in close. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Their lips met in a passionate embrace that grew deeper and more lustful as she continued to work his length. After a while, it was starting to feel a little _too_ good. Spirits, he needed more. Needed to feel her. 

His hand travelled lower, blindly searching until he felt the lacy material of her underwear beneath his fingertips. She moaned into his mouth as he stroked her teasingly through the fabric, already incredibly wet to the touch.

“Spirits, Shepard,” he growled. “You’re soaking already.”

“Garrus, I am very attracted to you and you’ve just been playing with my boobs for the past five minutes,” she quipped. “What do you expect?” 

A hearty chuckle rumbled in his chest, his lips trailing a path from her neck down to her soft, pillowy breasts. 

“I can’t help it,” he purred, teasing her nipple with his teeth. “They’re always so happy to see me.” 

He took her in his mouth, her grip tightening around his cock as he sucked and nibbled at the delicate, rosy flesh. Spirits, she was working his length like absolute magic. If she carried on like that, he really wasn’t going to last long, his chest already heaving with his deep, amorous breaths.

“Yeah, I wonder why that could be,” she breathed, her back arching beneath his touch. 

He laughed a little at that, raising himself up to delicately kiss her lips.

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly. 

And there it was, that damn smile that lit up like a nova and sent a warmth flooding through him every time he saw it. He felt her warm little hand come to rest against his neck, her thumb creeping under his mandible to massage the hide beneath. 

“I’ve missed you, too, Big Guy,” she said sincerely. 

Not wanting to wait any longer, he carefully slid his fingers beneath the lacy fabric of her underwear, finding them annoyingly restrictive for his much larger hands. 

“I’m assuming I can’t just rip these off?” he huffed, tugging at the fabric.

“Oh god, please don’t,” she chuckled. “This dress was _not_ made for going commando.” 

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” 

His hands slid beneath her dress, gradually easing their way up until they felt the hem of her underwear, tucking his fingers inside the fabric to coax them down. 

“It’s a human saying,” she explained, raising herself up so he could pull them past the full curves of her ass and hips. “When someone isn’t wearing any underwear beneath their clothes.. they’re going commando.” 

“Mmm, I like the sound of that,” he purred, slipping the lacy garment off the rest of the way. “But, no.. not here while you’re wearing that. I will _definitely_ be keeping it in mind for another time, though.” 

He held up the tiny excuse for her underwear as they hung off the tip of his talon, the sheer, white fabric covered in the delectable scent of her arousal. 

“I don’t know why you even bother wearing any,” he said, chirruping in amusement. “These are so damn tiny, what use could they possibly serve?” 

“They make me feel good,” she stated simply, shrugging her shoulders. “I forget you turians have different tastes, human men love a woman in lingerie. Now, will you _please_ put those down and touch me, already?” 

He couldn’t help but laugh at her impatience, casually tossing her underwear over his shoulder as he leaned in closer. 

“Far be it from me to deny a beautiful woman in need,” he teased, taking her lips once more. 

She sighed in contented relief the instant she felt him, both of them moaning lustfully as his fingers swept through her folds. She was incredibly soft to the touch, and so damn wet you’d have thought she’d cum already. Spirits, he’d missed the feel of her. 

“I never said I didn’t like them, by the way,” he purred, lightly nipping her bottom lip. “I think they’re sexy as hell.. I just prefer you without any. Because then, I can do this..”

As he spoke, he steadily teased his finger inside her but, spirits, she was so damn tight. 

“Oh fuck,” she hissed, clinging to his shoulder. 

“Spirits,” he growled. “You feel even tighter than before. How is that even possible?” 

“Well.. we went from having sex everyday to nothing at all,” she mumbled, a little breathless. “My body’s just gone back to how it was before.” 

He gently eased himself in a little more, stopping as soon as he felt he’d reached her limit. 

“Well.. we’ll just take it slow, alright?” he said softly. 

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled, chewing her bottom lip. 

As her body adapted, he slid his finger out of her teasingly slow, chuckling to himself as her head lulled back in sheer bliss. 

“Feel better now?” he purred, steadily delving just a little deeper.

“Damn straight,” she murmured, sighing happily. “You are _very_ good with your hands, Blue.”

“Likewise,” he chuckled. 

Suddenly, the comm in his ear began to emit static and judging by the way Shepard’s head just snapped upright, hers did too. Damn it. 

“Sorry, guys,” came Kasumi’s voice in his ear. “Had to go with Plan B, took a little while. I’ve got the password, should be more than enough in the voice sample to make it work. Where are we at with the DNA?” 

“Fuck,” Shepard whispered. “What do we do?”

“Why are you whispering?” he chuckled. “She can’t hear you..”

“Oh yeah.. well, what do we do?!”

“..hellooo?” the thief called. “Can you guys hear me?”

“Well.. answer her, of course,” he teased, gently twirling his finger around inside her. “You shouldn’t ignore people, Shepard. It’s rude..”

Those icy blue eyes shot him a glare that would have sent chills down his spine if she wasn’t so obviously enjoying the way he touched her. She reached for the comm in her ear, her gaze unfaltering as she reactivated her mic.

_This is gonna be fun.._

“Sorry, Ms. Goto,” Shepard said hurriedly. “The signal in here is terrible, I think Hock must have had this place soundproofed or something..”

“Smooth,” he whispered, quietly chirruping in amusement.

“Just call me Kasumi, Shepard,” the thief chuckled. “Ms. Goto makes me sound like a teacher. You managed to get in alright, then?” 

Feeling particularly mischievous, he slid his finger out of her, waiting until she opened her mouth to reply to steadily ease back in nice and deep. You have to hand it to her, she fought it down, the only visible signs being the quickened rise and fall of her perky breasts and her hands clenching into tight fists. This was turning him on way more than it should.

_Well.. challenge accepted, Shepard._

“Uh.. yeah,” Shepard replied, shutting her eyes in an attempt to help her focus. “It took a little convincing but, the guard let us in pretty easily, all things considered..”

“Us..?” Kasumi asked, intrigued.

Now that her body had adapted enough.. he figured it was safe to switch up the tempo a little bit. So.. he did just that, flashing her a devilish, toothy grin. 

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled, fighting down a moan of pleasure as he massaged a particularly sweet spot inside her. “I asked Garrus to help me out. Saved letting that guard get all touchy feely and gives me an extra pair of eyes to hunt around in here.”

“Good thinking,” Kasumi replied. “How’d you convince the guard to let you guys in?” 

Watching his finger disappearing inside her, feeling her warmth as she clung to him from every angle.. spirits, there really was nothing like it. With her legs spread so invitingly, he could clearly see his mark on her inner thigh, his free hand tenderly stroking across the scarred skin. To be honest, seeing that was even more of a turn on than the pistol had been. 

“We, uh.. kinda told him we wanted to come in here and fool around,” she said, doing her best to hide her panting breaths.

_Not entirely untrue.._

“Smart,” the thief said sincerely. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, you could cut the sexual tension between the two of you with a knife.”

“No kidding,” Garrus quietly purred, rubbing his thumb over her little bud teasingly. 

A smug grin spread across his face when she had to cover her mouth to stifle her pleasured moans, shooting him a look that said ‘I’m gonna kick your ass after this, Vakarian'. Damn, if it didn’t spur him on more. 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed..” Shepard said vaguely. “Anyway, there’s a fuck tonne of stuff in here and it looks like Hock’s cleaning lady is damn good at her job because, so far there really isn’t much to work with.” 

“Hadn’t noticed, huh?” he teased. “Well, we can’t have that..”

As he spoke, he grabbed her legs and rested them over his shoulders, leaning in to taste her deliciously wet, little pussy. The closer he got, the more frantic the shake of her head became and he couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I guess it’s to be expected, considering who we’re dealing with,” Kasumi mused. “Why don’t you scan something and forward me the readings so I can take a look?”

“Uh.. yeah, sure,” she said warily, far too distracted by the turian nestled between her thighs. “Just hang on a sec..”

“Sure.”

Shepard muted her mic, looking a little bewildered and incredibly turned on. It was an amusing sight. 

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?!” 

“Really, Shepard..” he chided mockingly, coming up for air. “Weren’t you listening?”

“Very funny,” she huffed. “Right, well, you’re gonna have to let me down..” 

“Yeahhh, that’s not gonna happen.”

“Oh, come on, Blue,” she pouted. “Help me out here. At least pass me something..”

“I’d love to, Shepard. Really I would, but..”

He paused for a moment, lapping up her wetness with one deep flick of his tongue.

“..I’m a little busy right now,” he finished. 

“Garrus..”

“You’re a very intelligent woman, Shepard,” he purred, planting kisses along her inner thigh. “Improvise..”

“I hate you just.. _so_ much right now.”

He chuckled deviously at that, caressing her silky, smooth skin. 

“No you don’t,” he teased. “That pretty mouth of yours can try to lie to me but, your body tells me how you really feel.”

“Oh, eat me,” she huffed, looking around the room to search for a solution. 

“I’m trying but, you keep distracting me,” he chuckled, chirruping away. 

She simply poked her tongue out at him as she shot another glare his way. Truth is, she could easily get out of this if she really wanted to. Yet, here she was.. 

“God damn it,” she snapped, reaching back behind her head. “Fine.”

“..what are you doing?”

“Improvising.”

He was curious as to what exactly she was planning here. When she brought her hands away, she had a bizarre, claw like thing in her grasp, whilst those luscious, white locks fell free like thick, snowy spirals cascading around her. He had no idea how this was supposed to help but, damn.. she certainly was a vision. 

“You look.. _so_ fucking sexy like that,” he growled, his eyes dancing over her alluring form. 

“Ah, ah, ah. You don’t get to talk right now, Vakarian,” she chided, laying flat on her back. “You’re busy, remember?”

She reactivated her comm, apparently with a plan in mind. Whatever it was, he just hoped it was quick because he was ridiculously turned on. 

“Right,” she said boldly. “Sorry, Kasumi.. little technical glitch there. You ready?” 

“Hmm?” came the thief’s reply. “Oh, yes! Sorry, I was just people watching. It really is fascinating.. and a little disturbing. I just watched Arthur Harman pick his nose while he thought no one was looking.. and then he _ate_ it.” 

_He ate his nose? You know what.. never mind,_ he thought to himself as he nibbled across her inner thigh, heading towards the warmth of her wetness.

“No idea who he is but, he sounds gross,” she quipped. 

“He’s a small time red sand smuggler, though he fancies himself more on Hock’s level. It’ll be his undoing in the end.. it always is with these types,” Kasumi mused. “Anyway, send me some scan results and I’ll check them out from my end.” 

“Alrighty,” she sighed, glancing around. “Let’s see..” 

She looked over at the lounge area far off to her left. Suddenly, the ashtray sat on the coffee table began to emit a bright, lavender glow before lifting into the air and shooting towards them. 

_That's my girl.._

It stopped just above her, hovering in place as she opened up her Omni-Tool to scan it. 

“Very clever,” he whispered between flutters of his tongue. 

She waggled her finger at him in a way he took to mean ‘you’re still not allowed to talk'. He laughed quietly to himself, deciding to make it a little harder for her to keep up this act. Although, he was thoroughly enjoying every minute. 

“Okay, so..” she began. “This is the results from an ashtray, I’m getting nothing on my side..”

“No DNA,” the thief confirmed. “But there are some _crazy_ biotic readings going on here.”

“Oh, ignore that,” she said casually. “That’s just me.” 

“These are from _you?_ ” Kasumi exclaimed. “Well, that is _definitely_ a story for another time but, why are you even using biotics right now?”

Garrus took that as the opportune moment to slide his tongue deep inside her, reminding Shepard _exactly_ why she was doing it. Her entire body writhed in response as she rolled her hips into him, biting down any noise that fought to escape. 

“Well,” she said through clenched teeth. “I wanna scan the whole thing properly but, I don’t wanna leave any fingerprints.”

“Impressive, Shepard,” the thief chirped. “But, we won’t be getting anything from that ashtray. I’m assuming there were no cigarettes in there?”

“Not a sausage..” 

_Why on Palaven would there be sausages in there?_

“Shame, that would have been perfect. Oh well, let’s try something else.”

“Okay, hang on..” 

Suddenly, he heard a deep splash coming from the direction of the hot tub nearby.. and when he looked up, the ashtray was gone. 

“Why did you do that?” he chuckled. 

She briefly muted her comm, propping herself up on her elbows to look at him. Made for one hell of a view. 

“Well, I guess you could say I don’t exactly have my best thinking cap on right now, Big Guy,” she chided. “I’ll fish it out before we go, it’s fine.” 

She set her sights on the wine glass sat on the table nearby, summoning it to her in much the same fashion. Once it hovered above her, she laid back down and opened up her Omni-Tool to scan it. Before she could do more, he grabbed onto her little waist and yanked her down towards him. Her head popped up with those piercing eyes narrowed but, her legs fell open as wide as they could go, inviting him in willingly.. she wasn’t particularly convincing. With their eyes still locked, he teasingly curled his tongue around her soft, little bud, chuckling to himself as her head fell back in pleasured defeat. 

“So..” she mumbled, reactivating her comm. “This wineglass has some DNA on it but, probably not enough for what we need. What do you think?” 

It was time to up his game, he thought. So, he stopped with his teasing and buried his face amongst her satin, smooth folds, devouring her completely. She just tasted so fucking good, he craved all of it and more. The beauty of her being so damn sensitive was that, no matter how much of her wetness he greedily consumed, it didn’t take long for more to take its place. Her thighs clenched around him, holding him tight as she covered her mouth to stifle her sexy little moans. 

“Yes, that looks about right,” came the thief’s reply. “Only a couple more samples like that and we should have enough. Let’s try one more, just in case..” 

His hands crept up her body until they reached her chest, massaging her soft breasts and teasing her little pink nipples just the way she liked it. She leaned into his grasp, rolling her hips into him as he focused his attentions on her delicate, rosy bud. 

“Mmhmm,” Shepard mumbled, too riled up to say more. 

Another splash swiftly followed as the wineglass disappeared from view. This time, she just opted for the closest thing she could see, that being one of the pillows on the bed nearby. Her Omni-Tool beeped as it completed it’s scan and she huffed restlessly in response.

“Well, I’m getting nothing from this pillow,” she mumbled, typing away. “How about you?”

He opted for a bolder move that may well earn him a punch in the face later but, it was certainly worth the risk. He brought a hand away from her chest, wrapped his mouth around her little bud and slid his finger deep inside her with one swift motion.

“Fuck, Garrus!” she yelped. 

She instantly covered her mouth in shock and he raised his head to silently shush her, doing his best not to laugh. Spirits, he was enjoying this far too much.

“What?!” the thief exclaimed. “What happened?”

“Oh god,” she cried as he practically fucked her with his finger. “He just stood on my fucking foot.”

“No.. but I do really wanna fuck you,” he whispered, a lustful growl lacing his words. 

“Ouch,” the thief chuckled. “That’s gotta hurt.. and here I thought turians were supposed to be graceful.” 

“Well, they certainly don’t do things by half measures,” she bit out. 

_Damn straight._

“That’s true,” Kasumi tittered. “Well, it looks like all the readings your getting are pretty accurate. It’s gonna take me a while to convert this voice sample into a viable passkey so, why don’t you both see if you find a couple more samples and then meet be back at the vault?”

“Sounds like a plan, Batman,” she mumbled, tightly clinging to the pillow now resting in her lap. “I’ll let you know when we’re done.” 

“Perfect,” the thief chirped. “Good luck.”

Kasumi's signal cut off and Shepard instantly put hers back on mute, sighing heavily in relief as she threw the pillow at his head. 

“Finally,” she exclaimed, her entire body relaxing beneath him.

“I’m impressed,” he purred, planting kisses along her thigh. “You did good, gorgeous.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she huffed, waving her hand dismissively. 

She unhooked her legs as she sat upright and he matched her, half anticipating a fist to fly towards him. Instead, she gave him an intense look of pure desire before pulling him close and claiming his mouth with desperate need. 

“You are gonna pay for that one day, Vakarian,” she breathed, pressing her body into him. “Big time.” 

“One day?” he teased, chuckling softly against her jaw.

“Mmhmm. Whilst I may not be in the right mindset to be exacting my revenge.. karma’s gonna bite you in the ass eventually. Trust me on that,” she boasted, tracing careless circles on the back of his neck. “But, right now.. you and I are gonna have some crazy hot sex and then get this mission done.. how does that sound?” 

“Did I mention how much I’ve missed you?” he purred, stroking along her slender waist. 

“I’ve missed you, too,” she said softly, planting a tender kiss upon his lips. “Now, hurry up and fuck me, already.. I’m so horny I can barely think straight.” 

“Spirits, you’re not the only one,” he growled.

Their mouths met in a lustful embrace, desperate moans filling the room in anticipation of their long awaited relief.. and not just from today. The plan was to take his time, ease himself in slowly.. but, the instant the tip of his cock was inside her, Shepard grappled her legs around him and pulled him forward, taking all of him in one swift hit as she cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

“Fuck, Shepard,” he snarled, overwhelmed by the rush. 

He held her tight, conflicted by the incredible sensation of filling her so completely and his genuine concern for her. There was no way in hell she was ready for that. 

“Are you okay?” he asked sincerely. 

She blessed him with that soft smile, pressing tender kisses against his lips. 

“I’m fine, Garrus,” she soothed. “Don’t worry so much.” 

“I worry for good reason,” he countered. “I can wait two damn minutes for the sake of not hurting you.” 

She didn’t say anything back, instead attempting to distract him by teasing her little tongue into his mouth to entice his own. Admittedly, it was working. He tangled his talons amongst her hair, resting his forehead against her own. 

“Why do you have to be such an impatient little thing, hmm?” he said softly, his subharmonics humming in concern.

“It’s only because I want you so badly..” she said in a seductive tone. 

Her fingers crept beneath his fringe, tenderly massaging the sensitive hide. Even with the ripples of pleasure it sent washing through him, it was actually incredibly soothing. Though he suspected that was more to do with the person doing it as opposed to the act itself. 

“Well, it’s hard to argue when you put it that way,” he purred, relaxing beneath her touch. “Mm, that feels.. _very_ nice.” 

“Good,” she giggled, subtly rocking against him. 

As she moved, he could feel that she was ready. Still deliciously tight but, not worryingly so. They kept it slow, relishing each and every sensation. Their heavy, lustful moans filling the space with each deep roll of his hips, keeping himself buried deep inside her. It was.. incredibly fucking intense, both desperately clinging to each other as if it would keep them locked in this moment forever. As they carried on, however, it went from slow and tender to hot and pretty damn wild. 

He’d laid her flat on her back, holding her slender little ankles in the air with her legs spread wide, a constant, amorous growl rumbling in his chest as he watched her pussy taking his length so greedily over and over again. They just fit together perfectly, each little movement stimulating them in unspeakably titillating ways. Watching how her body moved as he fucked her, listening to those shameless cries of pleasure that he brought of her.. spirits, it made his blood hot. 

“You have no idea how much it turns me on watching you do that,” he growled, gazing hungrily as she clutched at her breasts in her aroused state. 

“Oh, really?” she purred.

"Mmhmm."

“Well.." she said enticingly "How about this?”

One of her hands left her chest, creeping down to where their bodies met. As soon as she started gently teasing her little, rosy bud, he wished more than anything that he was wearing his damn visor. Because.. this? This was _hot_. 

“Yeah,” he rumbled, stroking her slender legs. “That’ll do it..” 

He watched intently as her fingers worked in time with his thrusts, her body rolling into each movement. Spirits, this was insane, he felt like he was in a porn vid or something. 

_Is this really happening? I mean, I **know** it is but.. fuck. _

“Does that feel good?” he purred, kissing and nibbling along the inside of her ankle. 

“Mmhmm,” she murmured. “Feels a lot better doing this with you inside me.” 

“I should hope so,” he teased, thrusting deep inside her. “Although I think I could happily sit back and watch you do that all day.”

“Well.. maybe next time,” she sighed, her body writhing with pleasure. 

“What do you think about when you touch yourself like that?” 

“What do _you_ think?” she purred, a look of pure mischief on her face. 

“Uh, uh,” he rumbled. “I wanna hear you say it.” 

She smirked at that, straightening herself up to meet him. Once her face was but inches from his, she looked him dead in the eye and slowly licked the glossy wetness from her fingertips.

_Oh spirits.._

“When I touch myself late at night.. all alone in my bed..” she whispered against his lips. “I think about _you_ , Garrus Vakarian.” 

_Holy shit, I’m losing my damn mind here._

“Is that so?” he purred, pulling her tight against him. “And what _exactly_ do you think about?” 

“Tell you what,” she said enticingly. “You take us over to that sofa right there and let me have my wicked way with you.. I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know.” 

She wrapped her legs around him in preparation, knowing damn well she’d made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Gorgeous,” he rumbled, giving her ass a playful squeeze as he lifted her off the counter. “You can have your wicked way with me wherever the hell you damn well please.” 

He carried her over to the sofa, somehow still managing to stay buried inside her even as he sat down.

“And I’ll tell you something else..” he purred, watching his hands at work as they fondled her perky breasts. 

“What’s that, Big Guy?” she asked, gently rolling her hips. 

“I think about you, too..” 

“Do you now?” she asked, a sly smile spreading across her features. 

“Mmhmm.” 

“We should watch each other some time,” she said casually.. so much so that he wasn’t entirely sure he’d heard her correctly. 

“You mean.. get ourselves off while the other watches?” 

“Yeah,” she chirped, shrugging her shoulders. “That’d be pretty hot, right?” 

_‘Pretty hot’ she says.. fucking hell._

“You really are a bad girl, you know that?” he purred, pulling her close. 

“Hmm..” she hummed, lightly stroking along his fringe. “Only for you.” 

He liked that a lot more than he should have, feeling that warmth trickling through him again. He tangled his talons amongst her silky hair, taking a moment to admire her. She was so damn beautiful.. her character, her spirit.. everything. He wanted her, more than anything. Not just like this but, in every sense of the word. Damn it, just how long were they going to have to wait? This past two weeks had been hard enough. The thought of carrying on like that for months.. a year.. honestly? He was starting to doubt if he could even wait that long. 

_Spirits, Nih was right.. you’ve got it **bad.**_

“Good,” he said softly, pressing his lips to hers. 

They didn’t say any more, their mouths rarely parting as they brought themselves closer to their release. She knew exactly how he liked it, knew all the right moves to hit them both in just the right way. She'd started off steady, riding his length with deep, coiling rolls of her hips. But it just felt too damn good, and before he knew it, she was bouncing on his cock like nobodies business. With his hands cupping her perky ass and her large breasts smothering him every time she moved.. spirits, he was one happy, horny turian. 

“I hope you’re ready, Big Guy,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t think I can hold on much longer..” 

Oh, he was definitely ready. Having the hottest woman you’ve ever seen riding your cock will do that to you. 

“I’m ready when you are,” he purred. 

He focused his attentions on her breasts, knowing it was just what she needed right now. That, and.. well, they were just very nice to play with. Whilst his mouth sucked and nibbled at one nipple, his fingers would pinch and tease the other, alternating between the two. Her lewd moans became desperate whimpers as she teetered on the edge, overwhelmed by the sensation of the intense climax her body was building up to. 

“Fuck, Garrus,” she cried, clinging onto him for dear life. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he soothed. 

He leaned back a little so he could touch her properly, using his knuckle to massage her little bud in firm circular motions. 

“Cum for me, beautiful,” he said softly.

She lunged forward and claimed his mouth desperately as he pushed her well and truly over the edge, her body gripping onto his cock as that first powerful wave rushed through her. Spirits, the instant he felt it, he was done for. The feeling of her cumming all over his cock was like a perfect, pulsing massage that blew his fucking mind every damn time. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him, his subharmonics flanging and snarling wildly as he filled her with hot rushes of his climax. They always seemed to go on forever. The way her body milked his length felt so fucking spectacular that it coaxed more out of him each time he thought he was spent. And in her case, his cock could stimulate all of those little sweet spots whilst she pulsed around him, only prolonging her orgasm in her hypersensitive state. 

They finally broke the kiss as their orgasms began to slow, gently rocking into those last few waves, both completely unravelled and out of breath. She buried her face in his neck as he ran his talons through her luscious white, locks, the brief bursts of her hot, rapid breaths tickling against his hide. 

“That was pretty incredible, huh?” she mumbled after a while, tenderly caressing the hide of his neck. 

“Spirits, that’s putting it mildly,” he sighed, his head lulling back in his blissful state. 

Save for the sounds of their quickened breaths, a contented, peaceful silence hung in the air for long moments.

“I guess there’s not gonna be another chance for us to do this again, is there?” she said sadly. 

He huffed out a defeated sigh, holding her a little tighter as he rested his head on top of hers.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said solemnly. “Not unless we get sent on another duo mission.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she sighed. 

“For what it’s worth, I’m really glad we’ve had this time together,” he said sincerely, stroking her back in the hopes it was comforting. 

“So am I,” she said softly. “..I just wish we could be like this all the time.” 

“Me too, gorgeous,” he sighed. “We’ll get there eventually, I promise.” 

“Hmm.. I hope so, Big Guy,” she mumbled, enjoying their rare tranquil moment. “In the meantime, I think we should get our best detective hats on and hunt for some DNA, don’t you? We’ve probably already been gone way too long.” 

“Maybe..” he hummed. “Worth it, though.”

“No argument there,” she chuckled, popping up to plant a quick peck on his lips. “Come along now, Mr Vedrix.. there’s work to be done.” 

They both hissed in a breath as she eased off of his length, just that last little hit of pleasure to see them through. She got to her feet and coaxed her dress back over those curvy hips, rushing over to pick up her underwear. 

“One sec,” she chirped, darting towards the door at the far end of the room, peering inside to presumably check it was the bathroom. 

Whilst Shepard was otherwise preoccupied, he adjusted himself back into a more respectable state and started clearing up the aftermath of their rather spectacular encounter. He popped the pillow back on the bed and slipped her gun into his pocket, gathering up his gloves as he ventured over to fish the random collection of items out of the hot tub.. still not entirely sure _why_ they were there in the first place. 

When Shepard eventually emerged from the bathroom, she looked a lot less like she’d just been fucked within an inch of her life, her dress now back to it’s original state and the crimson smudges all but gone. 

“Right,” she said boldly, walking towards him. “Sit your butt down, Vakarian.” 

“Shepard.. we really don’t have time for round two,” he teased. “No matter how much I may wish it were otherwise.” 

“Very funny,” she quipped, waving the small wash cloth she held in her hand. “We gotta clean you up.” 

“Well, I like where this is going..” he purred.

“Not like that,” she snorted. “You’ve got my lipstick all over your face.. I doubt you want to go back out there looking like a blushing damsel. Now, sit..” 

“Alright, alright,” he chuckled, sitting himself down on the bench surrounding the hot tub. 

She came to stand between his legs, the wash cloth sending a soothing warmth through him as the soft fabric brushed against his mouth. This felt.. incredibly intimate. She had a gentle touch, almost tender, and left a contented hum rumbling in his chest. He liked it.

“So.. there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” she said hesitantly, still focused on what she was doing.

“Well, you certainly have my full attention,” he purred, his hands gliding over the curves of her hips to rest against her little waist.

“It’s just.. when I was talking with Kasumi on the way here, I got the impression that there was more to her and Okuda's relationship than just being partners in crime..” 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I noticed that, too.” 

“I think she really loved him, Garrus,” she said sadly. “I feel bad for her.” 

“Where are you going with this, Shepard?”

To be honest, he didn’t really need to ask. He knew exactly where this was headed. As she finished removing the last traces of her lipstick from his cheek, she chucked the wash cloth on the bench beside him and let out a heavy sigh.

“We can’t destroy that graybox,” she said finally, shaking her head.

“What do you suggest we do instead?” 

“..we leave it to Kasumi to decide.” 

He urged her to sit on his lap, idly stroking the soft skin of her thigh as she did.

“Shepard,” he sighed. “I like Ms. Goto, I do. But, we barely know her. How do we know that she doesn’t want it for the same reasons the Alliance wants it destroyed?” 

“Because.. I believe that hidden somewhere inside that graybox are Okuda’s memories of their time together.. and I think _that_ is why she wants it so badly.” 

“Even if you’re right, what are we supposed to tell Hackett and Anderson, hmm?” 

“We tell them we did as they asked,” she shrugged, fiddling with the fabric of his sleeve. “How are they gonna know any different?” 

“And what about us, Shepard, huh? We’re supposed to be keeping our heads down, remember? Defying orders on our very first mission together isn’t exactly showing that we can get the job done.“

“You think I haven’t thought about that? I just.. ugh.. it just doesn’t feel right, Garrus,” she said solemnly, watching her hands at work. “Hock murdered the man she loved and then stole his memories along with it. If we help her find that graybox only to take it from her again.. we’ll be no better than him.” 

As her restless fidgeting grew increasingly erratic, he placed his hand over hers, soothingly stroking across her skin. A small smile began to appear, understanding what he was trying to do. 

“I’ll think about it, alright?” he assured her. “Let’s just get the rest of this DNA, find the graybox and then we’ll go from there.” 

“..okay,” she sighed, nodding her head.

He cupped her jaw and urged her to meet his eye, leaning in to take her lips in a tender embrace. Just one last quiet moment between them before they got back to it. When they eventually pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers, both idly caressing the other. 

“I just don’t want to risk doing anything that’s gonna jeopardise our own chances, Shepard,” he mumbled. “You get that, right?” 

“I do,” she said softly. 

He felt so torn. Torn between his own wants and needs and doing what was right. No doubt it was going to plague his mind for the rest of the mission. 

The two managed to find the last bits of DNA pretty swiftly, and before they knew it, they were shuffling back into the ballroom together and mumbling mischievous sentiments of gratitude to the guard still watching the door. There were hushed whispers from the other guests passing them by as they headed for the stairs, all speculating as to where the duo had disappeared to for so long. When they reached the vault entrance, the garish laser barrier was gone, and the thief uncloaked herself as she stood typing away at the terminal nearby.

“Took you long enough,” the thief chirped. “The voice sample worked, all we need now is the DNA.. did you manage to find more?”

“We did,” Shepard confirmed. “There were a few traces on this really cool sword that Garrus wouldn’t let me have but, they were contaminated. Luckily, we found some more on Hock’s datapad.” 

“Shepard, you are _far_ too clumsy to be trusted with that thing,” he chuckled. 

“Oh ye of little faith,” she sighed mockingly. 

The thief finally turned to face them, her lips cocking at the sides when her eyes landed on Shepard. 

“You look a little different from when I last saw you..” she said mischievously. 

“What? Oh.. uh.. yeah,” Shepard mumbled, laughing awkwardly. “I figured our story would be more convincing if I came out looking a little dishevelled afterwards..” 

If by ‘dishevelled’ you mean ‘smoking hot’ then yeah, she totally nailed it. 

“I see,” Kasumi replied with a devious grin. “Shame, the red looked good on you. Your hair looks amazing, though. _Love_ the white.. very unique.” 

“Thanks,” she chuckled. “Anyway, here’s what we found.. do you think it’ll be enough?” 

Kasumi gave their findings a once over, nodding in confirmation.

“Yes, these will do just nicely,” the thief chirped. “Good work. Why don’t you two get ready whilst I prepare the sample for the DNA scanner?” 

So, they did just that, unlocking the secret compartment inside the golden statue to retrieve their weapons, armour and his beloved visor. Of course, that went back on pretty damn sharpish. As he zipped up his undersuit, he glanced at the statue and caught a glimpse of Shepard behind him in its reflection. Bent over with her ass in the air, wearing nothing but her tiny, white underwear as she slipped her feet into her undersuit.. it took everything he had not to turn around. 

“Hey,” she chirped once they’d finished getting ready. “I have something for you..” 

They turned to face each other, a sly smile spreading across her face at the sight of him in his armour. Spirits, he was right there with her. Whilst she still adorned hooded Shadow armour that clung to her ever so nicely, this set was different to what he’d seen her wearing back on Omega. This was her _real_ armour.. her N7 armour. Fuck, it looked good on her. He _may_ have taken a quick snapshot.. 

“I’m listening..” he purred.

“Close your eyes..” she said mischievously, slinking closer.

He chirruped curiously, giving her a look he hoped translated to ‘you know we’re not alone, right?’.. given the light shove to his shoulder and the exaggerated eye roll.. she got it. He closed his eyes, feeling even more confused when he felt her adjust his hands so he was holding them palm side up. After some minor clanks, knocks, and just general rummaging noises, she placed something in his hands and he opened his eyes to take a look, his jaw practically falling open.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

“I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think I’m not looking,” she purred. “Thought you might wanna try her out for yourself.” 

He gazed in awe at the Black Widow resting in the palm of his hands, his eyes dancing across appreciatively. Shepard was right, he’d been quietly checking out this rifle every time they were in the Armoury. 

“But, what about you?” he asked, meeting her eye.

“No point having two snipers with just the three of us,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I imagine Kasumi here is more of a stealth fighter so.. we need a tank, a heavy hitter. Keeps the team balanced. I adjusted Midnight to fit your size as best I could but, you may need to tweak her some more..” 

“Midnight?” he chuckled. 

“That’s her name,” she said casually. “I name all my guns, gives them character.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” he chirped, shaking his head. “Thank you, Shepard. Seriously. I’ll look after her.”

“Don’t sweat it, Big Guy,” she beamed. 

“I’ve wiped the CCTV feeds,” Kasumi interjected, hovering in the elevator. “Installed a little glitch to keep it on a loop, it’ll look like we were never here. All ready to go when you are..” 

Garrus held up the rifle to take aim, testing it out for size. She’d adjusted it perfectly, almost moulding into his hands. Spirits, he couldn’t wait to use this, feeling like a giddy fledgling with a new toy. The fact that Shepard had thought of all this.. he was quietly touched.

“You coming or what?” came Shepard’s voice.

He glanced over to see Shepard and Kasumi waiting in the elevator, both grinning at his expense at his childlike excitement. 

“You bet,” he beamed, flashing a wicked grin.

As the elevator began it’s descent, he noticed that Shepard was now sporting a rather intriguing weapon of her own. 

“Is.. that a flamethrower?”

“Hell yeah it is,” she beamed. “Rescued her during a run in with some Blood Pack assholes about a year back.” 

“What did you name this one?” the thief teased.

“Buttercup.”

“That’s cute,” Kasumi chuckled.

“Right?” Shepard beamed. “Plus, I just love the idea of shouting ‘Light ‘em up, Buttercup!’ and then roasting some bad guys in a fiery shitstorm.” 

“You just wanna pretend you’re a dragon, don’t you?” Garrus teased. 

“Fuck yeah,” she said proudly. “Who wouldn’t?”

He just chuckled a little and shook his head, everyone’s gaze darting towards the doors as they slowly hissed open. 

“Cheese and sprinkles,” Shepard exclaimed, stepping out of the elevator. “Look at all this stuff!” 

The vault contained the rarest and most prized artefacts of Hock’s collection, ancient statues and artworks presumed lost in time. If that graybox was going to be anywhere, it was here.

“So this is Hock’s vault,” the thief mused, a hint of bitterness in her tone. “Very nice.”

She began typing into her Omni-Tool, both he and Shepard’s chiming in response.

“This scanner upgrade will hone in on the graybox,” she explained. “It’s not far.” 

They followed the audial indicator on the scanner, Shepard stopping a moment to gaze up at the giant head on display in front of her.

“Lady Liberty,” she exclaimed. “What happened to you?” 

“Hock is ruthless,” Kasumi said flatly. “If he wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it.. Keiji found that out the hard way.”

Shepard looked over at Garrus with a saddened look in her eye. She was right, wasn’t she? Kasumi and Okuda were definitely together. The thief had been consistently bubbly throughout this mission, except for when she spoke of Hock, then there was nothing but distaste and hatred in her tone. Spirits, what the hell was he supposed to do? 

As Shepard grew close to one of the display counters, her scanner began to screech as it homed in on their prize. 

“Oh my god,” Kasumi whispered. “There it is..” 

They simply stood and watched curiously as the thief began to scan the graybox, a small smile spreading across Shepard’s face. 

“Don’t bother, Ms. Goto,” came Hock’s bellowing voice from behind them. “It’s codelocked.” 

They all turned to find the source of the pretentious voice, glancing up at yet _another_ giant head as Hock’s projection hovered at the far end of the room. 

“I knew this was a little too easy,” Garrus grumbled. 

“I had a feeling it was you at the door,” Hock continued. “I knew if it was _really_ you, you’d get through anyway.” 

“You know me, I don’t like to disappoint,” she quipped. 

“I need what’s in your graybox, Kasumi. You know I’m willing to kill you for it. I’ll admit your skills are impressive, you got into my vault like I’d left it open. But you’re still going to die, screaming, just like your..”

His threat ended rather abruptly when a hulking statue of a krogan hurled through his projection, the purple glow surrounding it disappearing as it smashed against the wall behind him.

“Gosh darn it,” Shepard said teasingly. “Would you look at that?”

She stepped closer, nonchalantly kicking a chunk of the statue shrapnel that was lying on the ground in front of her.

“That’s my bad,” she chirped, glancing around at the mess she’d caused. “I can be _such_ a clutz sometimes. That was probably pretty damn pricey as well, huh?” 

If she was trying to piss him off, it was definitely working. 

“Miss Riley,” Hock spat. “Such a shame, you showed such promise. I had high hopes for you. But if you’re both here to assist Ms. Goto, you will meet the same fate. I don’t think you..” 

The projection glitched out as another glowing statue hurtled through it and shattered against the wall, cutting him off mid sentence. Spirits, these things must way a tonne and she was flinging them around just as easily as she had the ashtray.

_Crap, I forgot to take it out of the hot tub. Oh well.. probably doesn’t matter much now._

She approached the statue of a human standing on a plinth nearby, appraising it inquisitively. 

“I’m gonna level with ya, Donnie,” Shepard said boldly. “We have absolutely no intention of giving you that graybox, and _you_ sure as hell aren’t just gonna let us frolic off into the sunset with it. So.. let’s just be honest with ourselves, we all know what happens next. You’re gonna send your little minions after us, and we’re gonna have to take ‘em out one by one as we find our way out of here..” 

She stood to face him head on, folding her arms across her chest as she sunk into her hip. 

“Honestly, the Big Guy and I have been itching for some action so, we’re ready for whatever you wanna throw at us,” she chirped, gesturing her head towards Garrus. “But, I swear to _god_ , if I have to listen to another one of your mind-numbing, boring ass, bullshit speeches, you are going to suck _all_ of the fun out of it. So, can we _please_ skip to the good part already before I destroy everything in this fucking room?” 

Garrus' mind instantly thought back to when he’d found her in that alley. Terrifying a grown ass man to the point where he quite literally pissed his pants and scurried off like a frightened animal. So full of fire for such a tiny thing. She was impressive to watch then, and even more so now. Apparently Hock didn’t share his sentiments, barking out orders for his men to attack before his grimacing projection vanished. They all dived behind cover as the door at the far end of the room burst open, a chorus of gunfire filling the vault as Eclipse soldiers began pouring in. 

_Showtime.._

“About damn time,” Shepard quipped, crouching down beside him. “Kasumi.. you okay over there?” 

“I’m fine,” the thief confirmed, ducked behind a counter on the opposite side. “I believe this is where you two put your skills into action.” 

“Damn right it is,” Shepard beamed. “What’s the plan, Big Guy?” 

“I don’t know how you two fight yet,” he answered over the gunfire. “Just take out who you can, stay behind cover and watch out for friendly fire.” 

“Noted,” she confirmed. “In that case, you might wanna turn on Midnight’s infrared scope..” 

She gestured to a small button on the rifle, flashing a devilish grin before activating her tactical cloak.

“..you’re gonna need it,” she finished. 

The thief followed suit, cloaking herself and disappearing from view. Garrus activated the IR mod and popped out of cover, lining one of the soldiers up in his crosshairs. Through the scope, he detected a heat signature coming from behind the soldier, with the thief suddenly materialising to take the human out before vanishing again. 

_Impressive.._

He fired off a shot and took down another, wondering where the hell Shepard was. As he hastily glanced around, he was somewhat bewildered to spot her heat signature.. climbing a statue. 

“Shepard, what the hell are you doing?” he asked.

“Scattering the flock,” came her whispered voice through the comm. 

Suddenly, she leapt off the statue, uncloaking mid air to slam down to the ground amidst her vibrant biotic glow. Damn, it scattered them alright. A harmony of wails and hollers cried out, the sheer force of the blast propelling the guards away from the cover they’d all sought refuge behind. He picked off a couple as they soared through the air, with Kasumi taking out the stragglers that plummeted to the ground around her. Shepard took out the trooper that lay winded from the sheer force of his crash landing, another guard readying himself to take aim while her back was turned. 

**Blam.**

She immediately turned around when she heard the shot, only to watch the lifeless guard’s body crumple to the floor. 

“I’ve got your six, Shepard.” 

She nodded in thanks, her eyes suddenly widening in shock. 

“Garrus!” she cried.

A wave of pain wracked through him as he took a full Overload hit from behind, weakening his shields and leaving him open to attack. He span around, rifle at the ready, to be faced with their chief closing in on him. He didn’t have time to change the thermal clip, the rifle screeching in protest when he fired the shot. Fuck, it barely did a thing. Her armour and shields were too strong. 

“You may as well give up,” the woman sneered, raising her shotgun. “None of you are getting out of here ali-"

Out of nowhere, a purple flash shot past him like a bullet and took the woman with it. 

“You were saying?” Shepard snarled, her tone cold and severe.

The chief was backed against the wall, Shepard’s Omni-Blade still very much buried in her throat. With all of the power of her biotic charge behind that move, Garrus wouldn’t be surprised if that Omni-Blade was the only thing keeping the woman’s head attached to the rest of her. Nonsensical garbled noises were all the chief could muster, unable to talk as she choked on the blood now trickling down her chin. When Shepard yanked her blade out, the woman’s body slumped down against the wall as her head tumbled a few feet away. 

“You okay, Big Guy?” she asked, sheathing her blade. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, Shepard,” he said sincerely, getting to his feet. “Thanks.”

He glanced down at the chief’s head, her dead eyes still open and staring right at him.

“Bit of an overkill, don’t you think?” he teased.

“Don’t hurt my partner,” she said casually, shrugging her shoulders. “Simple as that.” 

“I’ve got the blueprints here,” Kasumi cut in, focusing on her Omni-Tool. “The landing port isn’t far..”

“Good job,” he said sincerely, opening up the radio comm to the Normandy. “Joker, we need a shuttle for evac. Now. I’ll forward you the location of the landing port.”

“Roger that, Captain,” came Joker’s reply. “Be there as soon as we can.”

He sent the blueprints to Joker as they hurried out of the vault. But, as soon as they entered the next area, he heard the mechanical whirrings of a YMIR Mech on approach and ordered his team to get behind cover. A quick glance from behind the crates they’d hid behind revealed a flood of guards heading their way as well.

“Alright,” he began. “I need you two to focus on getting through that mech's shields. I’ll take out some of the guards then open fire once it’s shields are down.”

Both nodded in confirmation and followed his orders, blasting the heavy mech with Overloads to deplete its shields. As they did, he tucked himself around the other side of their cover and took out several of the troops further up the way. This rifle was a thing of beauty, incredibly nice to wield with some impressive mods installed. In fact, Shepard had pretty much added the same upgrades that he usually would. 

“Shields are down,” came Kasumi’s voice.

With that, they all unleashed hell on the thing, firing into it relentlessly until it began to fall to its knees, sparks shooting out of it as it neared its dying defence mechanism.

“Alright, big fella,” Shepard chirped. “Time to go back to your friends..” 

A purple glow appeared around the mech, swiftly lifting it into the air before it hurled down the walkway towards the Eclipse soldiers. As if on cue, the thing exploded just as it landed in their laps, taking a few shrieking guards with it to the grave. 

“Very nice,” the thief beamed. 

“The phrase ‘hoisted with their own petard' springs to mind,” Shepard teased.

“Hamlet?” Kasumi queried, a little amused. “Interesting..”

The copious amounts of bullets firing their way shifted their focus, everyone keeping themselves safely tucked away except to take out another Eclipse lackey. Once the gunfire eventually quietened, they all held a baited breath, waiting to see if the coast was clear. Garrus kept his crosshairs fixed at the opposite end of the walkway, watching intently for any sign of movement. He could have sworn he saw one last guard in his scope. 

“I think we-" Shepard began.

**Blam.**

The second the soldier had popped his head around the corner, the sound of the rifle rang through the area like a thunderclap, the human crumpling down to the ground. Shepard glanced up the walkway, spotting the newly deceased soldier way off in the distance.

“Holy shit, Blue,” she beamed. “That was awesome!” 

“Damn right it was,” he purred. “Maybe Midnight would be better off with me, hmm? That way she can actually explore her full potential.” 

“Yeah, keep dreamin’, Big Guy,” she snorted. 

The speakers on the wall nearby hissed a little before Hock’s stern voice came bellowing through.

“They’re out of the vault,” he snapped. “Seal them in!” 

Suddenly, the doors all clamped shut around them upon Hock’s command.

“Damn it,” Kasumi huffed. “We’ll have to find another way out.” 

Luckily, there was one route left open to them. The trio ventured through the underground tunnels, taking out each wave of Eclipse troops that Hock threw at them. Kasumi truly lived up to her reputation, able to sneak in and take someone out before they even knew she was there. And Shepard.. well, if another human so tiny had suggested they be the heavy hitter in his stead, he’d have laughed in their face. But, with her? No way. She packed one hell of a mean punch, and it seemed they worked just as well together on the field as they did between the sheets. 

“Don’t fight me, Kasumi,” came Hock’s voice through the speakers as they felled another YMIR Mech. “You remember what happened to your little boy toy when he tried.”

“You don’t talk about Keiji like that!” she cried, heartbroken and enraged. “ **Murderer!** ”

The thief ran on ahead, too overwhelmed with grief and her need for revenge to think clearly.

“Kasumi, wait!” Shepard yelled, running after her.

He picked up the pace, catching up pretty swiftly with his much longer stride. As they rushed through the open doors nearby, the thief had already engaged with the Eclipse soldiers scattered around the warehouse, her emotions dulling her self preservation instinct. In her distraction, she hadn’t noticed the Vanguard tucked inside a nearby container, only realising when a Warp came hurling towards her. 

“Kas, look out!” Shepard cried, immediately charging for her. 

She grabbed the thief in the nick of time, shutting her eyes tight as she took the force of the blow herself. 

“Shepard!” Garrus yelled, darting towards them and urging them behind cover.

But then.. it was the weirdest thing. The Warp, it.. didn’t even effect her. It just lingered like a faint glow around her until it gradually shrunk away. Just like he’d seen in her cabin.

“..Shepard?” he asked quietly.

She opened her eyes, looking up to meet his own. For the briefest moment, her eyes held that sparkling lavender hue he’d seen before, swirling in whirlpools until they shifted back to their familiar blue. 

“I’m alright,” she said sincerely. “Kasumi.. are you okay?” 

“I’m fine, thanks to you,” the thief replied. “I think this warehouse leads to the landing port, Hock will be there waiting for us. Let’s just take care of these bastards so I can kill that son of a bitch.” 

Whilst Garrus had a few things on his mind that he’d like to clear up, it was probably easier to do so without being shot at. So, he conceded for now. They fought through the remaining troopers in no time at all, with Garrus taking extra pleasure in wiping out that damn Vanguard. Once the threat had been extinguished, however, it was time for some answers..

“So, Shepard,” he asked as they rooted around the corpses for ammo. “You wanna explain to me what the hell I just saw?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she chirped innocently.

“I think he’s referring to you sucking up that Warp like a biotic sponge,” the thief quipped, hacking a terminal nearby.

“Yes,” he confirmed, pointing at the thief. “That.” 

“Ha.. you saw that, huh?” she mumbled, laughing awkwardly. “Well.. I’m not exactly sure either but, biotics just don’t really effect me. Actually, that’s not strictly true.. they do effect me, just.. not in a bad way. They kind of.. recharge my powers, I guess?” 

“Hold on,” he said in disbelief, shaking his head. “Are you seriously telling me that, not only are you immune to biotic attacks but, they actually boost your own?” 

“Pretty much,” she said casually, shrugging her shoulders. 

Spirits, does she not realise how insane that is? How does she act so damn casual about shit like this? 

“I’m intrigued about this little gift of yours, Shep,” the thief chirped. “There was no mention of it in your files. Then again, there wasn’t much mention of anything. I did a little digging myself but, you’re about as hard to find a record of as I am.” 

“Tell me about it,” Garrus huffed. 

“Gotta keep a little mystery, right?” she said vaguely. “So.. shall we..?” 

“Not yet,” he insisted. “Just one more thing..” 

He marched towards the thief, stopping just before her to point an accusing finger in her face. 

“Ms. Goto, I am genuinely sorry for what Hock did to your partner but, you need to focus,” he ordered. “Losing control like that put both you _and_ Shepard in danger.”

“Garrus, relax,” Shepard soothed, stepping closer. “It’s fine.” 

“No, it’s not, Shepard,” he countered, his mandibles pulling tight against his jaw. “If you weren’t some sort of biotic fucking enigma then you could have been seriously hurt.” 

“It's alright,” Kasumi offered. “Though, you may want to practice what you preach, Spectre. After all, your feelings for Shepard are what’s causing this reaction, are they not?” 

He looked over at Shepard, both of them mumbling incoherently. 

“We’re not..” Shepard mumbled.

“Yeah,” Garrus murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re just..”

“Oh, look at you two,” the thief chirped. “So cute. I’m gonna save you both some time and tell you that I know exactly what’s going on between you..”

“And what is it that you think you know?” Garrus asked, bristling a little. 

The thief opened her Omni-Tool, typing away for a few moments before playing a recording, the voices all too familiar..

 _“Why did you do that?”_ he heard his own voice say, laughter in his tone. 

_“Well, I guess you could say that I don’t exactly have my best thinking cap on right now, Big Guy,”_ came Shepard’s voice. _“I’ll fish it out before we go, it’s fine.”_

_You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me._

“Oh, sugar honey iced tea,” Shepard gasped, her cheeks flushing a rosy shade.

“How the hell did you even hear that?” Garrus snapped, a growl beginning to brew in his chest. “Our mics were muted.” 

“I bugged the pair of you on the way here,” Kasumi admitted, folding her arms across her chest. “I had a hunch that your superiors would want Keiji's graybox, I needed to know if you would try to take it from me once the mission was done.” 

“Oh god,” Shepard said, a little embarrassed. “You heard everything?” 

“ _That’s_ what you’re worried about?” Garrus asked in disbelief. 

“Kinda,” she mumbled.

“Relax,” the thief urged. “I only tuned in now and again to check when you were done.. although what I _did_ hear was pretty hot so, kudos. Keiji and I often liked to sneak away during a heist, all that excitement and anticipation..” 

“God damn it, we are _so_ screwed,” Shepard sighed, rubbing her forehead wearily.

“No, Shepard, you’re not,” Kasumi insisted. “I heard everything you said.. about Keiji and I.. about his graybox..”

_Oh spirits.._

“You’re right,” she continued, sadness in her tone. “I loved that man more than anything.. this is all I have to remember him by. But.. I think I understand what’s going on between you two. You want to be together but, you can’t. Not yet, anyway. If destroying this graybox means that you can have that together someday, then.. I’ll let you do it.”

_Wait, what?_

After tracking down the stolen memories of the man she loved, she was prepared to destroy them for this? He was astounded.. maybe he’d judged her too harshly. 

“But, I don’t want you to do that,” Shepard said sadly.

“I know you don’t, Shepard,” Kasumi said sincerely. “And _that_ is why I would.” 

“Thank you,” Garrus said with a single nod. “We appreciate it. But.. I have to ask, if you knew what was really going on.. why'd you ask Shepard to scan that stuff?” 

“Wait..” Shepard mused, obviously now realising herself. “Yeah!”

“Because it was fun,” the thief said mischievously. “Consider it my payback for making me wait around..”

_Oh, it was fun, alright.._

“Touché,” Shepard conceded, blushing a little. 

They would have to pick this up again later. For now, there was one last matter of business to attend to. Their shuttle should be here soon, and they’d have to get through Hock first. But, when they reached the landing port, none of them expected the gunship that awaited their arrival, a missile soaring right for them as they burst through the doors.

“GET DOWN!” Garrus barked.

They ducked behind cover just in time, the rocket soaring past and into the wall behind them. 

“You could have done this the easy way, Goto,” came Hock’s voice from the ship. “Now I’ll show you the hard way.”

Despite their best attempts, nothing was working to take that gunship out. With the waves of mechs and Eclipse troops that were being sent their way, it only made things more complicated. 

“This isn’t working,” Shepard yelled over the gunfire, ducking behind cover. “The ship's shields are replenishing too fast.” 

“If I can get to that ship, I can take down those shields,” came Kasumi’s reply.

“We’re on it,” Garrus confirmed. 

Both he and Shepard took out a guard each, ducking back behind cover to reload, resting shoulder to shoulder. 

“So.. first time on the field together..” Shepard chirped, just as invigorated by the fight as he was. “How’s it feel?”

“Ask me again when we’re alone,” he purred, flashing her a wicked grin. 

“Guys.. a little less flirting, a little more shooting, maybe?” Kasumi urged. 

“Right, sorry,” Shepard chuckled. “You got my six, Big Guy?”

“Always,” he said sincerely, cocking his rifle for effect. 

She gave him a wink and a cheeky smile as she left the safety of their cover, climbing on top of the stack of crates the guards were hiding behind. 

“Sup, guys?” she beamed, looking down at them with her flamethrower at the ready. “Say hello, Buttercup..”

They all glanced up as they heard her speak, no chance to take action as she set them all ablaze. Garrus picked them off one by one, their shrieking cries coming to a halt whilst the Loki mechs melted and withered to nothing but synthetic scrap. 

“That oughta do it,” Shepard chirped. “Nice work, Big Guy.”

“I’ve got a clear path,” Kasumi cut in. “I’m going for it.” 

What happened next was.. most unexpected. The hooded woman traversed the metal framework surrounding the landing port like she was part pyjak, leaping onto the gunship to take out its shields. They shorted and crackled as she cut the power, diving off the ship as it flew through the air only to land back on her feet. What the _hell_ did he just watch?

“Holy mackerel!” Shepard yelled, jumping off the crates to run over to the thief. “That. Was. **Awesome!** You’re like our very own Catwoman! Garrus, did you _see_ that?”

“Yes, I did,” he chuckled. “That was incredibly impressive, Ms. Goto.”

“Thanks, guys,” she tittered. “The shields are down now, let’s take this bastard down.”

And, that they did. With Kasumi keeping the guards distracted, he and Shepard could focus on the gunship, keeping a constant stream of bullets firing until smoke began pluming from the damaged exterior. But, it just wasn’t enough and they were running low on ammo, pinned behind their cover as Hock fired at them relentlessly. 

“I’ve got an idea,” Shepard said. “You think you can take out the wind screen?” 

“You got it,” he beamed. 

He waited for the gunships turret to stop firing, popping out of cover the instant it ceased. With the glass screen in his crosshairs, he followed the ship’s movements, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. The glass shattered upon impact but, Hock remained yet unscathed, hollering vindictive curses their way in his anger. 

“Damn it,” Garrus bit out. “I missed him.” 

“No, you didn’t,” Shepard beamed.

He glanced over to see her smiling a mischievous grin, clutching a trio of grenades in hand. 

“I like the way you think,” he purred.

“Thought you might,” she said deviously. “Let’s end this.”

With that, she conjured her biotic aura around the grenades, all three lifting into the air above them. As she peered over the cover, they all soared towards the gunship as one, too fast for Hock to shoot them down. 

“Fly, my pretties,” Shepard said boldly. “ **Flyyyy!** ” 

“Shepard..”

“Sorry,” she chuckled.

As soon as she saw them rush through the shattered screen and into the cockpit, she immediately activated the detonation, the sky lighting up as a trio of explosions obliterated the gunship into nothing but scraps. Spirits, she certainly didn’t muck around. 

“Yeah, that’s for Keiji, asshole!” Shepard yelled.

“Nicely done, Shepard,” he purred as they headed for the platform. “I think we’re gonna have a lot of fun together.”

“Damn right we are,” she chirped, winking at him with those baby blue eyes. “We make a good team.”

“We certainly do,” he beamed.

Kasumi joined them on the platform as they waited for the shuttle to arrive, watching the few remnants of synthetic and organic shrapnel still raining down from the blast. 

“It’s done,” she said with resolve. “Good riddance.”

Shepard approached the thief, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“You gonna be okay?” 

“I will be,” she said quietly. “Thanks, Shep.”

Once safely inside the shuttle and headed for the Normandy, the thief activated the graybox and integrated into its systems whilst Garrus and Shepard watched on a holo display. It was all true, Okuda _did_ harbor sordid secrets that could implicate the Alliance. But, as they quietly watched the thief explore his memories, it was easy to see that she had no interest in such things. As she wondered through the glimpses of their private, tender moments, Keiji spoke of his concern for her safety should she keep the graybox intact, requesting that she destroy it. Witnessing this encounter was tough, the thief overwhelmed with her grief as Okuda said ‘I love you' for the last time. Spirits, this was heavy.. it felt like they were intruding. 

As Okuda’s message finished, Shepard closed the holo display, her concern for Kasumi written all over her face. The thief lovingly stroked the graybox in her hand, sniffling a little in her sorrow. 

“Here,” she said quietly, offering it to Garrus. “I can’t bring myself to do it.” 

What was the right thing to do here? Okuda specifically wanted her to destroy it. The Alliance wanted it destroyed even more so. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder how he’d feel in her position.. 

“Keep it,” he said finally. “I don’t wanna take it from you. Just.. be careful and keep this between us, alright? We’ll all suffer the consequences if you don’t.”

A grateful smile spread across the thief’s face, holding the graybox to her chest.

“I will,” she said sincerely. “No one will ever know. Thank you, I won’t forget this.” 

“No problem,” he said with a single nod. “Just don’t make me regret it.”

He felt an elbow nudge his arm, looking down at the tiny human beside him as she smiled gratefully. She mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ and he chirruped in reply, knowing only she would hear. 

“So.. whaddaya say?” Shepard said excitedly. “You wanna join us?” 

The thief slipped the graybox back into her pocket, nodding in agreement.

“Yes, I do.. after everything you’ve done for me today, I owe you both big time,” Kasumi replied. “And, I’ve had a lot of fun working with you, I’m intrigued to watch this little project of yours unfold.”

“Sweet!” Shepard beamed, bouncing on the spot. “Oh, you’re gonna love it, Kasumi. We’ve got an awesome ship and an even better crew. You’ll fit right in.”

“Thanks, Shep,” she chuckled.

“Welcome to Project Concordia, Ms. Goto,” Garrus chirped. “We’re glad to have you.”

As they finished the remainder of their journey, they unveiled the details of Concordia, filling in the gaps of what the project leaders had briefly relayed to the thief. But, once they’d reached their destination, they knew they needed to be vigilant from here on out and follow their plan as agreed. For some reason, the thief had elected to cloak herself before departing the shuttle, wanting to stealthily explore her new home before making her introductions. If only he had the same luxury. Instead, he and Shepard stormed through the Shuttle deck with purpose, making their excuses to anyone who called after them until they were safely inside the elevator. 

“Phew,” Shepard breathed, sighing in relief. “That was close.”

“Told you it would work,” he purred, pressing the button for the Upper Deck. 

“Yes, yes. You were right,” she chided mockingly. “Happy now?”

He smirked at that, standing closer as he loomed over her. In such a confined space, her scent was overwhelming. Now laced with the smells of sweat.. sex.. blood.. gun oil.. and _him_. Pair that with the thoughts of their secret fuck session and recollections of watching her fight today.. fuck, he wanted her.

“Very,” he purred, tucking his finger beneath her chin.

Her lips cocked at the sides as she raised her head to meet his eye, subtly stretching up onto her tiptoes. Just as he leaned in to kiss her, a synthetic voice came through the speakers. 

“Spectre Vakarian,” came EDI’s voice. “Spectre Kryik requested to see yourself and Commander Shepard upon your return.” 

_Damn it, so close.._

“Tell him we’ll be down in a while,” he replied. “I wanna shower first..” 

“He was rather persistent that you exercise urgency on this matter,” EDI insisted.

“Ugh.. fine,” Garrus conceded. “Just have him call my terminal in about ten minutes, alright?”

“..of course, Spectre Vakarian,” she replied, sounding somewhat reluctant. 

The speakers buzzed a little as EDI signed off the intercom, the doors hissing open to their private floor.

“Sorry, gorgeous,” he said sincerely, planting a gentle kiss upon her lips. “Looks like we won’t have as much time as I’d hoped.”

“That’s okay,” she said softly. “I’m all gross right now, anyway..”

“I strongly disagree,” he purred as they entered the hallway. “Honestly, though, I really do wanna shower and get these damn markings off me. You wanna come and wait in my cabin? I’ll only be a minute and then we can debrief Nihlus together.” 

“Sure,” she shrugged. “I’ll shower once we’re done.”

She plonked herself down on the sofa as he quickly removed his armour, undoing the top half of his undersuit so it hung around his hips. When he glanced her way, he felt a little smug to see her not so subtly checking him out.

“Enjoying the view, Shepard?” he teased.

“Uh huh,” she chirped, smiling devilishly as she folded her arms across her chest. “Very much so.” 

He laughed a little as he popped his visor down on the desk and headed for the bathroom. 

“If Nihlus calls before I’m out, just go ahead and start without me. You can catch me up when I’m done,” he said as he lingered in the doorway.

“Will do, chief,” she confirmed.

“Try not to fall asleep, alright?” he chuckled, watching her slowly sinking into the comfort of the sofa. “I won’t be long.”

He shut the door and turned the shower on, removing his undersuit the rest of the way as the water heated up. As he stepped beneath the stream, he hummed happily at the feel of the warm water soothing his hide. Spirits, what a crazy fucking day. Amazing.. eye-opening.. somewhat emotional for their new crew member.. and pretty damn wild for him and Shepard. Spirits, the way she touched herself like that.. it was so fucking hot. Though it was probably best not to dwell on _that_ particular train of thought too much, he really didn’t have the time to do much about it. He hastily set about removing his temporary markings, feeling a little relieved to eventually see the last of the red dye trickling down the drain. He’d just have to wait until later to paint his real ones back on. 

The downpour stopped as he turned the valve, feeling good as new and not wanting to risk missing Nihlus' call. Figuring going back out there naked probably wasn’t the best idea right now, he begrudgingly wrapped a towel around him before heading back into the cabin. 

_Where the hell is she?_

“Shepard..?” he called, looking around the empty cabin.

..nothing.

_Strange.._

She must have gone to her cabin to shower or something.. perhaps Nih already called and said he’d just talk with them both later. When Garrus approached his terminal and saw a recording of a vid call on the display, he figured he’d come to the right conclusion. Except, when he began to play the recording, he went rigid as stone as his eyes landed on a familiar face that most certainly wasn’t Nihlus'..

 _“Hey, Kryik. What’s up?”_ came Shepard’s voice, presumably before she saw who was actually on the screen. _“Oh.. sorry, I thought you were someone else.”_

 _“Ugh, a human,”_ the female, dual-toned voice sneered. _“Where is Garrus?”_

He felt a gut-wrenching twist in his stomach at the sight of her. What the hell was she calling him for? 

_“He’s a little busy right now,”_ came Shepard’s reply. _“Is it something I can help you with?”_

The woman’s green eyes practically shot daggers through the screen in response. Oh, spirits, he felt sick. 

_“I require nothing from you, human,”_ the flanging voice snapped. _“And I suggest you remove yourself from his quarters immediately. Your kind should know not to be so familiar with your betters.”_

A snarling growl rumbled in his chest the more he watched. She certainly hadn’t changed.

 _“Right,”_ Shepard replied dismissively, rising above the condescending tone. _“Would you like me to have him call you back?”_

_“Yes, and see to it that he does so as soon as possible.”_

_“..sure,”_ she said flatly. _“What’s your name?”_

A sneering smile emerged across the tan plates of the turian woman on the screen, sending chills down his spine.

 _“Velsia Salvius,”_ the woman answered, her words dripping with arrogance. _“The future Mrs Vakarian..”_

_Oh no.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But, Sophimus, I hear you say.. I thought there'd be no more smut for a while?
> 
> Well.. yes, dear readers. I did say that, but.. I can't resist it any more than they can, okay? 😂
> 
> Now, I'm sure some of you are hating me a little bit right now but, as Shepard would say.. have a little faith 😏
> 
> Thank you for reading, I'll try to be a bit quicker with the next chapter 😂 damn you, real world..


	14. It Should Have Been Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year! Hope you enjoyed the Christmas holidays as best you can given the circumstances. Secondly, I apologise that this has taken so long. Trying to stick to a "1 month max" between uploads but, with Christmas and everything, I've slacked a bit. 
> 
> Side note: I do a lot of drawing in my spare time and have been debating doing an illustration of our beloved duo at the end of every couple/few chapters or so. Some raunchier.. some more casual or action based. Just wanted to see if that's something you guys would be interested in? It would mean that those specific chapters may take a little longer to be uploaded but, thought it might compliment the story nicely. I've included a couple of random DC drawings I've done at the end of this chapter so you can get an idea of what my style is like. If you think you'd like to see some illustrations with this content, or not, let me know in the comments. Either way is fine, just wanted to gauge peoples thoughts before I start doing it. 
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling. I'll aim to get the next one done quicker, I imagine it'll be easier now we're back in lockdown where I am.

How quickly things can change. Merely an hour ago, Shepard would have said this was the best day she’d had in a long time. Then all it took was one little vid call for everything to go to shit. Still trying to process what the hell was going on, all she knew for sure right now was that she was fucking _pissed._

She'd at least had enough presence of mind to quickly shower, the subtle rosy tint from the scalding water still flushed across her skin even as she reached the Shuttle Deck. Seemed a little pointless considering she was just about to work up a sweat again anyway but, it was _necessary_ after all. That’s what he’d told her. If only she’d known it was just to hide the fact she was no more than a little home-wrecker. God damn it, she really needed to punch the crap out of something.

_You’re a damn fool, Eva. You let your guard down way too easily. Let him in too damn quick._

She kept her Commander mask firmly in place as she headed for the training area at the far end of the deck, unwilling to let the crew see any sign of her inner turmoil. They offered the usual cheerful greetings to her as she passed, her brain functioning on autopilot to return their sentiments with polite nods and the appropriate verbal cues. As she grew closer to the Mako, a head popped around the back of it, bright green eyes meeting her own as he smiled a big, toothy grin.

“Hey, Shepard,” Chellick said cheerily, taking a momentary break from his tinkering. “How’d it go? You guys have fun?”

He wiped his hands on a rag already covered in oil, chucking it onto the workbench beside him. The two had become fast friends over the past couple of weeks, sharing a common interest with their passion for mechanics. Unlike his rowdier friends, Chellick was fairly shy and quiet. Kind of sweet in a dorky way. With Raelus’ persistent flirty camaraderie and the way Alenko acted all wide eyed and desperate around her, it was a breath of fresh air to be around someone who simply treated her like one of the guys and sought nothing more than her friendship. Though, she wasn’t particularly sure how to answer him. What the hell should she say?

_Well, Garrus and I ended up having the hottest sex I’ve ever had in my entire god damn life.. turns out space Catwoman bugged us both so, she found out before even stepping foot on the damn ship.. then to top it all off, I find out that Vakarian's been **engaged** this whole fucking time. So.. yeah, it’s been **super** fun. _

No, that wouldn’t go down well at all. Just make the poor guy feel awkward as hell.

“Well, we had big explosions, a little subterfuge.. champagne. What more could you want from a heist?” she replied instead, trying to keep things more upbeat. “New recruit seems promising too..”

“Champagne?” he tittered. “Doesn’t sound like any mission I’ve been on. Explosions, on the other hand..”

“They’re the best part anyway,” she quipped, shrugging a shoulder. “You need a hand with anything?”

“Nah, I’m good. Just gonna install these new brake shifts then I’m done for the day,” he said, holding up the new parts for emphasis. “Thanks, Shepard.”

“No problem. Get yourself a beer when you’re done, alright?” she insisted, taking her leave. “That’s an order.”

“Will do, Commander,” he chuckled, his mandibles fluttering happily.

“Hey,” came Vega’s voice from across the way. “What about me? Sparks isn’t the only one who’s been workin’ around here, ya know..”

“I don’t think trying to beat your own Pull Up record counts as work, Vega,” she retorted, turning to face him.

One of the Lieutenant’s brows raised as he folded his bulky arms across his chest, perching against his workbench.

“You just point me to where the fighting’s at, Lola, and I’ll earn enough cervezas for the whole damn crew.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she replied. “You’ll get your chance soon, Vega. Quick stop at the Citadel and then I’m sure there’ll be plenty of target practice to go around.”

“I’m holding you to that!” he hollered as she walked away.

_You’re not the only one who wants to kick some ass right now, Vega. Trust me._

You could tell the training area had been designed with both species in mind. There were the familiar pieces of fitness equipment dotted throughout; treadmills, bikes, cross trainers and the like for cardio. Benches, squat racks, top of the line multi gym stations for strength training. All with extra weights included to account for their turian counterparts. But, smack bang in the middle of it all, sat a rather professional looking sparring ring. Something commonplace for turian ships, allowing them to practice their hand-to-hand combat and vent any animosity amongst crewmates. They might have been onto something there.

Shepard groaned internally as she grew closer, her eyes landing on the two turians who treated this part of the ship as their little love nest. It wouldn’t be an issue, except neither were particularly fond of her yet and it left a constant uncomfortable atmosphere lingering in the air. Made it hard to focus, as if her brain wasn’t frazzled enough already.

The bulk of turian known as Fabus lay on one of the work out benches, the barbell in his hands loaded with enough weights to pin a damn maw down. Leaning against the sparring ring nearby, his bondmate seemed to be taking a break from her own routine to watch him appreciatively. Though, as soon as she clocked the ‘intruder’ heading their way, she immediately shot an unwelcoming glare in Shepard’s direction. Whilst Fabus simply treated Shepard with indifference, Caenia certainly wasn’t shy about voicing her displeasure. In fact, it had been a fairly regular occurrence since Shepard first boarded the Normandy. Even went so far as to call her ‘Alliance Puella', which she later found out to mean ‘Alliance Princess'. _Cute_.

Despite their differences, Shepard had to admit that Caenia was a stunning woman. A fine example of her species. The amethyst shade of her eyes almost matched the clan markings she shared with her mate perfectly, the vibrant purple standing out nicely against the charcoal grey of her plates and hide. Where male turians reminded Shepard of a proud lion or tiger, all muscle and raw power, she thought of the females of their kind like cheetahs. Equally as formidable but, with that added elegance and agile grace. Just a shame this one had a stick up her ass the size of a grand oak. 

“Hey,” the woman snapped as she stormed over, her brow plates furrowed disapprovingly. “Where the hell is Garrus?”

_Just get this over with and then you can beat the crap out of something._

“Hello to you too, Caenia,” she quipped. “I don’t know where he is, I’m not his keeper. Why don’t you ask EDI?”

“We didn’t see him return to the ship, nor have we seen him since. He _always_ checks in with his crew after a mission.”

_Are you fucking kidding me right now?_

Shepard rubbed her forehead wearily, trying not to let that anger slip. Was she seriously insinuating that Garrus was KIA? Like Shepard would just casually meander around the ship afterwards as if nothing had happened? What a load of crap. She had little time for Caenia’s bullshit today, or anyone else’s for that matter.

“Caenia, Garrus is not _dead_ , alright? He’s onboard the ship, alive and well.”

_For now, anyway.._

The woman eyed Shepard from head to toe, looking severely unimpressed.

“I still can’t believe he agreed to go alone with you,” Caenia sneered, shaking her head. “It was reckless. How on Palaven can he be expected to watch his own back when he’s playing bodyguard to the Alliance’s precious little puella?”

“Come on, Caenia,” came Chellick’s voice, his superior turian hearing catching the unpleasant discussion. “Don’t be like that. You haven’t even seen Shepard in action yet.”

“And neither have you, Chellick,” Caenia countered, waving a hand dismissively. “Go back to playing with your toys, this doesn’t concern you.”

Chellick began to reply but, Shepard held up her hand to stop him in his tracks.

“It’s fine,” she insisted, calling him off. “I respect your concern for your Captain, Caenia. That kinda loyalty in a soldier is hard to come by. But, Garrus is my partner, and the lynch pin of this whole project.. without him, we have nothing. So, while I may not have served with him as long as you have, his safety is just as paramount to me as it is to you.”

Although it wasn’t so easy to detect, Shepard could hear the faint hint of a growl emanating from Caenia's chest. The stone-faced woman stepped closer in an attempt of intimidation, practically looming over her. It sure as hell didn’t work, nor would it ever. Shepard had faced a damn sight worse in her lifetime than a pissed off soldier with an attitude problem. Caenia opened her mouth to speak but, stopped before any words could escape, glaring with narrowed eyes for long, painfully silent moments.

“Just so we’re clear, human,” she said finally. “The _only_ reason we’re here is because Garrus is our Captain. We’d follow him anywhere, even to this wretched ship overrun with your species. Because we’ve _always_ got his back. _His_ back. You understand?”

Ugh, the entire principle of this project was to eradicate this kind of old fashioned ‘us vs them’ mentality. That being said, Caenia’s allegiance to her Captain was admirable. The fact that she was here despite her views, it gave Shepard hope that her and Fabus could come around in time. Although, it had better happen pretty soon because, she was getting tired of this shit very quickly. There’s only so long you can bite your damn tongue before you snap.

“Got it,” Shepard stated simply, shrugging a shoulder. “Can I go work out now?”

Caenia didn’t say any more, her posture noticeably bristling until she finally huffed out a defeated breath and stormed off back towards the sparring ring. Fabus briefly stopped what he was doing to spare a vague glance at Shepard before focusing on his mate, the pair engaging in a subvocal conversation they didn’t know she could hear. Of course, she couldn’t understand as a turian would but, she got the gist. Nothing particularly friendly. If this were her ship, if _she_ were the CO, she’d go over there and give them both a hefty piece of her damn mind. Instead, she shrugged it off as best she could and made a beeline for the training dummy, feeling even more tightly wound than before. If she didn’t let it out soon, safely, then there was a very real risk that everyone present on the deck would see _exactly_ what happens when people push her too damn far and her anger gets the best of her. That wouldn’t work out well for anyone.

The training dummy had been designed to withstand both human _and_ turian attacks, completely towering over her a she stood before it. She shook herself out, trying to rid the edgy, tense feeling. Not even remotely successful. Readying her fighting stance, she raised her fists and adjusted her footing. One slow, deep breath.. and then the first soft jab made contact. And again. Then another.. and another. Maintaining that rhythm as she tried to focus on her breathing, the accuracy of each hit. Jab. Hook kick. Jab. Turning kick. Right hook. Jab. Side kick. Keep the moves clean and controlled. No easy feat when she was acutely aware of Caenia watching her like a hawk, no doubt judging every move she made.

 _Just block it out,_ she thought to herself. _You_ _don’t need to prove anything. You’re Commander fucking Shepard for god’s sake._

Her mind granted her wish in the most bitter fashion and began to reflect on everything that had happened. The good stuff. The bad. The unanswered questions. That fucking vid call with the annoyingly attractive xenophobe on the other end of the screen. Not just any attractive xenophobe. _His_ attractive xenophobe. Garrus’ god damn fiancé. How could he even _be_ with someone like that? How the fuck could even be with someone in the first damn place?! Ugh.. how could she have let herself get into this mess?

_Should have turned around and gone back to your god damn apartment when you had the chance. Losing your shit over a fucking guy. Jesus christ, Eva._

As the minutes ticked by, she fought back the angry tears that yearned to fall, her teeth clenching down tight in her mouth. She felt so damn conflicted. Confused. So _fucking_ **mad**. The relief she’d sought here was nowhere in sight, everything still too raw to process. In her peripheral vision, she caught Caenia suddenly glancing up the walkway, quietly chirruping in greeting to whoever was approaching. Shepard didn’t need to look to know who it was, her suspicions confirmed when she was able to hear the returning subvocals so clearly. It was only a matter of time. After leaving that recording for him, she knew it wouldn’t take long for him to either seek her out, or flee to the nearest escape pod. Although, with how she was feeling right now, he may just wish he’d gone for the latter option.

“Captain,” Caenia greeted. “Glad to see you’re in one piece.”

“It'll take a lot more than a few Eclipse soldiers to take me down,” Garrus replied, not sounding particularly chirpy himself. “You should know that by now.”

“You got that right,” Fabus rumbled, holding his weights above his chest as if they were nought more than a measly twig.

“Under normal circumstances, maybe,” Caenia countered. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, sir, but.. you shouldn’t have gone on that mission alone.”

“I wasn’t alone, Caenia..”

“Well, you may as well have been,” she huffed.

Shepard heard Garrus’ exasperated sigh coming from behind her, just as fed up with his friend’s catty attitude as she was.

“Caenia..” he began tiresomely.

Whether his friend was specifically going out of her way to ensure they were heard, Shepard had no idea. Caenia’s current level of pettiness suggested it wasn’t such a farfetched notion. Shepard did her best to hide her reactions but, the punches flew with more force and the kicks grew swifter. It was intended as a safer outlet, a means to release the pent-up anger as she desperately tried to keep the biotic whisper in her mind at bay. But, god damn it, they sure as hell weren’t making it easy.

_Control it. Fight it down. Not here._

“Garrus, you’re a Spectre now.. our _friend_ ,” Caenia urged. “You could have been partnered with a fledgling and be better protected for spirits sake!”

“Caenia,” he said again, his tone much more severe.

This was nothing new. Shepard had always been judged in some form or other for her size or her looks. Constantly underestimated until she proved otherwise. Forever battling against the stereotypes ingrained into people that told them she had to be no more than a helpless little airhead. It’s one of the reasons she signed up for Concordia in the first place.. this project was supposed to symbolise peace. Open mindedness. She was a Commander.. an N7. No, screw that.. the _youngest_ N7 _ever._ Yet, here she was, having to prove herself yet again just to be taken seriously. And she damn well would, too. Just as she always did.

“I’m not going to apologise for my justified concern for your safety..” Caenia continued.

It was getting too damn strong. Her blood felt like lava flowing through her veins, burning with rage until sweat trickled down her temples in a perpetual stream. It was taking everything she had to contain it, like a rush of pure adrenaline and the overwhelming pressure of a shaken up soda can all in one. The only reason she’d come down here was to prevent this exact situation. God damn it, she just had to focus. Block them out. Jab. Side kick. Right hook. Left hook. Turn kick. Jab. **Focus**. Try as she might to ignore them, the memories of recent events flickered through her mind like a jumbled slideshow. Everything over the past few weeks that had led to this point..

Seeing Garrus in that alley, come to her aid when she was nothing but a stranger potentially in need. The drunken experimental kiss that started it all.

_“Actually, I was, uh.. gonna ask you to come with me. I figured I could.. you know.. keep you safe. No more disguises or looking over your shoulder..”_

Seeing him as the elevator doors opened when she first boarded the Normandy, their ‘all bets are off’ encounter before reluctantly putting their feelings aside.

_“I want your mark on me, Garrus..”_

“..I mean, what does it say about the Alliance..” came Caenia’s dual-toned voice.

The quiet hours in the Main Battery together. Their first mission as partners, leading them right back into one another’s arms.

_“I’ve missed you.”_

_“I’ve missed you, too, Big Guy..”_

“..that _she_ is the best they can give you?” Caenia finished indignantly.

_“The future Mrs Vakarian..”_

“Alright, that’s **enough!** ” Garrus yelled.

But, it was too late. All the hurt, all the rage.. it came out before she could stop it. A blindingly bright aura emerged around her clenched fist as it flew forward, spreading up her arm like a lavender wildfire. When the hit landed, the magnitude of power behind it sent a rippling tremor down the deck and knocked everyone in its path off balance. Meanwhile, the broken tatters of the training dummy shot across the room like mortar fire, smashing through the heavy duty crates on the far side of the wall.

_You **have** to fight it down, Eva. You **need** to control it. Get your god damn shit together. **Not. Here.**_

Her chest heaved with her angered breaths, willing herself to calm down. Eventually, the biotic aura dissipated but, she could practically feel all of the eyes fixed on her. Everyone present on the deck standing in stunned silence as to what the hell they’d just witnessed. This was a bad idea, she couldn’t be around people right now. It wasn’t safe. Not sparing anyone so much as a second glance, she took off for the elevator, wanting nothing more than to get off this deck and away from all the gawping stares. The crew seemed to take the hint loud and clear, keeping their distance as if she were literally on fire.

“Shepard..” Chellick began, approaching tentatively. “..are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she lied. “Just don’t know my own strength sometimes, I guess.”

_Don’t stop. Just keep walking. Calm down. Focus. **Not here.**_

“Alright, if you’re sure..”

She glanced back over her shoulder and gave him a subtle nod in appreciation. He knew she was lying, he must have heard everything just as clearly as she had. But, Chellick wasn’t the sort to push and probe when it wasn’t wanted, and she couldn’t have been more grateful for that right now.

“Damn, Lola,” Vega boasted as she passed. “Remind me not to piss you off..”

“A very sensible observation, Vega,” she said plainly. “ **A lesson that a few on this ship would do well to learn.** ”

She made a point of saying that last part _extra_ loud for everyone to hear. Just so there were no misunderstandings.

“Cortez,” she called out. “Sorry for the mess, won’t happen again. Put in a requisition for the replacements we need and I’ll cover the cost.”

“Of course, Commander,” he said, somewhat timid.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, approaching the elevator.

She stepped inside with haste but, huge three fingered hands grabbed the doors and held them open before she could escape. Not wanting to risk causing more of a scene than she already had, she reluctantly allowed him to join her inside. He looked deflated, and possibly a little spooked, his hands gripping his upper arms as he stared at the floor to escape her persecuting gaze. The glossy shine of his freshly painted clan markings glistened in the light, the azure blue not yet fully dried and looking more striking than she’d ever seen it. Whilst she couldn’t deny feeling comforted by seeing him with those familiar blue designs back, it was incredibly overwhelmed by the desire to punch him square in the mouth.

“Shepard.. I’m so sorry about Caenia,” he said sincerely. “She’s just..”

He paused for a moment, sighing in defeat. That wasn’t the real problem here and he damn well knew it.

“Look.. can we talk?”

“Garrus, I would strongly advise that you don’t do this in here,” she snapped. “I am _one_ bullcrap excuse away from royally losing my shit and I don’t think this elevator was built to withstand that.”

“No kidding,” he murmured sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just.. come upstairs and let me explain?”

Before she could reply, a slight static hiss filled the elevator as its intercom speakers were activated.

“Uh.. Eva?” came Joker’s voice. “Are.. you okay?”

“I’m great,” she droned in her agitated state. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just watched you showing off your mad skills,” he teased. “What did that mannequin ever do to you?”

“It looked at me funny,” she said vaguely, shrugging her shoulders. She stepped closer to the CCTV camera and stared right into it, knowing he’d be watching from his console in the cockpit. “What I did tell you about snooping on the crew anyway, mister?”

“What? I’m _bored_ ,” the pilot grumbled. “What else am I meant to do until we ship out?”

“Oh, I dunno.. you could _sleep_ , maybe? You know.. that thing people are _supposed_ to do sometimes..”

“Says you,” he scoffed. “When was the last time you actually slept properl-"

“Alright, alright. That’s quite enough of that, thank you,” she cut in, waving her hand frantically. “Is there something you specifically need, Joker?”

She could see Garrus eyeing her curiously in response to the pilot’s remark. In hindsight, mentioning sleep in front of him was probably a terrible idea. The guy picked up on every tiny damn detail. Honestly, he could have been a detective in another life.

“Oh.. yeah,” the pilot replied. “Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson want to speak with you. They’re already waiting so, you guys should probably head to the Comm Room.”

Great. Just what she needed.

“Why are we just hearing about this now?”

“I was a bit preoccupied with making sure you weren’t about to punch a hole through my baby,” he retorted. “But.. it was also pretty awesome and I got a little distracted..”

“Of course you did,” she huffed, shaking her head tiresomely.

“It’s fine, we’ll make our way there now,” Garrus offered. “Thank you, Joker.”

“No problem, boss,” Joker replied. “And, Eva? You know where I am if you wanna talk..”

“I know,” she sighed, nodding her head. “Thanks, bud. Sorry. Been a weird day.”

“It’s cool,” came the pilot’s chirpy reply. “I’ll check in with you later.”

As Joker signed off the intercom, Shepard leaned against the wall of the elevator, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling in her drained state.

“We’ll get this out of the way and then we’ll talk,” Garrus offered, pressing the button for the Combat Deck. “Alright?”

“ _Yippee_ ,” she droned sarcastically. “Can’t wait.”

She could tell he just wanted to get it over with, looking more on edge than she’d ever seen him. For the first time, the atmosphere between them felt awkward. Uncomfortable, even. The only discussion that took place was to decide their answers for the upcoming meeting, knowing that the topic of Okuda’s graybox would inevitably arise at some point. They’d need to be on the same page for that, at least.

“You sure you’re up for this right now?” he asked as they stood at the comm platform.

Honestly? Not entirely. Pops had seen her at very worst, seen all the phases and mood swings. The typical teenage angst kinda shit. There’d be no pulling the wool over his eyes. Still, the quicker this was done, the sooner she could get some damn answers and then be left the fuck alone.

“Let’s just get it over with, shall we?” she snapped, initialising the transmission.

As the platforms activated, they were both a little shocked to be met with three projections, not two, standing before them. Her mind went blank for a moment, instantly awestruck by the turian’s holo image standing beside Hackett. Primarch Fedorian, the top dog of the entire Turian Hierarchy, right before her very eyes. He looked positively regal, it was easy to tell just by looking at him that he was in a position of power. The elegant tunic and robes he wore looked classy and refined enough to show they had to be _very_ expensive. Yet, they were subtle and tasteful, hinting at a lack of desire to show off his wealth. God damn it, why did she have to be in work out gear right now? All sweaty and gross.. she felt _severely_ under dressed.

“Spectre Vakarian, Commander Shepard,” Hackett said by way of greeting. “Thank you for joining us. We trust your first mission together was a success?”

_More like a god damn roller-coaster._

“It was, Admiral,” Garrus confirmed.

“That’s what we like to hear,” Anderson replied cheerfully. “But, before we get into that.. I believe some introductions are in order..”

As Anderson smiled her way, he had the proudest look upon his face. Even though he wasn’t her real father, he may as well be after everything they’d been through together. He gestured for her to step closer to the platform and she complied, doing her best to hide the angst still rife within her.

“Primarch Fedorian, it’s my honour to introduce you to our very best marine, and the newly appointed Executive Officer of the Normandy; Alliance Commander Shepard..”

She bowed her head to the elder turian, giving him the salute of his own species to show her respect.

“It’s an honour to meet you, Primarch, sir,” she said sincerely.

Fedorian seemed a little surprised by her gesture, chirruping curiously as his mandibles spread into a grin, returning the greeting in kind.

“And you as well, Commander,” he said cheerfully. “I apologise that we’re only just meeting but, one must answer when duty calls. I’m sure you must have heard this countless times by now but, I’d like to formally welcome you to Project Concordia.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied. “It's a worthy cause, I’m glad to be a part of it.”

“And we’re glad to have you,’ he boasted, pausing to appraise her curiously from head to toe. “I must admit.. you’re not what I expected.”

Shocker. Here we go again.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” she huffed, crossing her arms as she sank into her hip. “I’m more than capable, sir. I can promise you that.”

Maybe the direct approach wasn’t the best move for their first encounter but, she was hardly in the mood to entertain anyone else’s presumptions today. Interestingly, Fedorian didn’t even seem to react, save for a subtle smile of intrigue.

“Apologies, Commander, I meant no offense,” he assured her. “On the contrary, after everything I’ve read about you, it only makes you all the more impressive.”

_What did he just say?_

“Read about me, sir?”

All three project leaders looked at one another in question and their sudden shifty demeanour made her body tense up anxiously. She wasn’t going to like this, was she?

“Look, kiddo,” Anderson said hesitantly. “You know I never would have agreed to this if I thought there was any chance it could put you at risk. Hackett and I always knew we wanted you as Vakarian’s partner but, we had to show the Primarch here why it was the right decision..’

“You didn’t..” she said quietly.

“We gave him access to your records, Shepard,” Hackett confirmed, clasping his hands behind his back. “It wasn’t a decision made lightly but, I’m afraid it was necessary.”

What in the good god damn? Were they fucking crazy?

“In what world could it have _possibly_ been necessary, sir?!”

“Shepard, it’s okay,” came Garrus' calm voice. “The Primarch is a good man, you can trust him.”

Fedorian gave Garrus a grateful nod, whilst Shepard shot him a subtle glare. As if he was in any position to be talking about fucking trust right now.

“With all due respect, sir,” she began. “You may be the Primarch but, I don’t know you from Adam. My records are sealed for a damn good reason and it’s gonna take a little more than Vakarian’s good word for me to trust you with that knowledge.”

She stepped closer to Anderson’s projection, looking him right in the eye.

“How could you allow this, Pops?” she said, dismayed. “You of all people should know what’s at stake..”

She hung her head and huffed out an exasperated breath, pinching at the bridge of her nose as she fought down the anger. She felt betrayed. When a voice spoke, she was admittedly surprised to hear Fedorian, and not Anderson speaking.

“If I may, Commander,” he began. “I have no right to ask for your trust, as I have yet to earn it. I understand why such drastic measures have been taken to conceal this information, and the importance to keep it as such. All I can do for now is give you my word that I shall speak of it to no one. Not a living soul, nor the spirits above. What’s more, you have my utmost respect and admiration. For all you have endured and all you have overcome. Your files were a clear indication that you are indeed the best choice for this role, meeting you now has only solidified that. I apologise wholeheartedly, Commander. I pray that in time, you will see that their trust in me was not misplaced.”

Well.. she definitely didn’t see that coming, leaving her feeling a little speechless. His tone sounded genuine, his gaze sincere.. it was hard not to believe him. Not unlike herself, he wasn’t at all like she’d been expecting.

“I, uh.. thank you, sir,” she mumbled in her shocked state, rubbing the back of her neck. “I appreciate that.”

He bowed his head respectfully, the others present in the conference just quietly observing the intense moment. All except for Anderson, whose guilt-ridden gaze stayed fixed on the floor in his solemn state.

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” he said sincerely. “If I thought there was any chance-"

“I know, Pops,” she assured him. “I just hope we don’t come to regret it someday. How the hell did you even convince her to agree to this, anyway?”

“How do you think we managed to track you down in the first place, Shepard?” Hackett answered. “She knew just as much as we did that you were perfect for Concordia.”

“She _what?_ Why that little..” she huffed. “I’ve got a call to make once this meeting is done..”

“Go easy on her, kid,” Anderson offered. “She just wanted you back with us, that’s all. She’s missed you.. we all have.”

God damn it, it was so hard to be mad at him. They may bash heads at times with their _very_ different ideas of what was best for her but, he’d always been there. Always cared. Always put up with her shit. Then she ran off to the far end of the galaxy, too scared to contact him for all that time because he’d just plead for her to come home.

“I know,” she said sincerely. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no.. it’s okay. You have every right to be upset. You’re just gonna have to trust your old man, hmm? Can you do that for me?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she teased, giving him a soft smile.

“Well, I’ll take what I can get,” he tittered, smiling gratefully. “Now.. let’s get down to business, shall we? The mission.. how did it go?”

_It was going pretty fucking great until an hour or so ago, Pops._

“Well, Hock’s dead and Kasumi’s hiding out somewhere on the Normandy, so.. pretty well I’d say,” she shrugged.

“Good work, team,” Hackett said boldly. “This mission was the perfect opportunity for you two to work as partners and understand how you both operate on the field. How did you find it?”

Whilst she may be fucking pissed at Garrus, she couldn’t deny how well they’d worked together today. Thinking about it, it was hard to believe it'd been their first time fighting together.

“Spectre Vakarian is an exceptional soldier and one hell of a marksman,” she said sincerely, feeling his watchful gaze. “He’s a solid leader, with a sense of battle strategy that aims to minimise the risk of casualties amongst his team. A commendable attitude, it’s clear to see why he was chosen for this project. I believe we’ll make for a strong team on the field, sir.”

_On the field.._

“And the same can be said for Commander Shepard,” Garrus offered. “I’d heard stories of her combat ability during our journey to Omega. I’ll admit I was sceptical at first, but..”

He paused briefly, their eyes meeting for the slightest moment before returning to their present company. His gaze was soft, sincere.. it was so hard to look at him right now.

“Seeing it first-hand.. well, the stories just didn’t compare,” he continued. “Her approach on the field is forward thinking, using unorthodox strategies that have proven to be both efficient and incredibly effective. Not only will we make a good team but, I think we can learn a lot from each other as partners.”

_Oh we’re learning a lot from each other, alright._

“Excellent,” Fedorian replied, his mandibles fluttering a little. “You two are the centre of this project.. if you can continue to work well together, we hope that in time, others will see just what we can accomplish as allies and join our cause.”

“That’s what we’re striving for here,” Hackett confirmed. “The pair of you have similar military backgrounds and a like-minded attitude, that’s one of the reasons you were both selected for this. Your success today has already shown the start of a promising partnership, let’s keep up that momentum. There is the matter of Okuda’s graybox, however.. were you able to destroy it?”

_Oh boy, here we go.._

Every urge inside of her wanted to look to Garrus for reassurance but, she had to fight it. Even the slightest glimmer of doubt here could be their undoing.

“We were, Admiral,” Garrus confirmed with a single nod. “Your suspicions regarding its contents were justified, Okuda confirmed as much in his last message to Ms. Goto. He was concerned that the information could make her a target, and his dying wish was that she destroy it for her own safety. She honoured his last request, and destroyed it in the presence of Shepard and myself. It won’t be a problem anymore.”

Whilst she was relieved that Garrus had taken the reigns here, it was interesting to see just how easily lying came to him. I guess you’d have to be if you want to fuck around while the cat’s away.

“I’m impressed, you two,” Anderson offered. “Not only did you manage to recruit Ms. Goto, but you were able to dispose of the graybox without the need to deceive her. I know it was a lot to ask but, hopefully now you can understand our urgency on the matter.”

“We do, sir,” Garrus replied sincerely. “Ms. Goto acted selflessly and justly in that regard. She’ll make a fine addition to the crew.”

“Man, you should have seen her, Pops,” Shepard gushed. “She’s like a real life Catwoman! She’s awesome. You did good finding her..”

“Still into your comic books, hmm? Glad to see that hasn’t changed,” he chuckled. “Just don’t get any funny ideas, you hear me? I had a feeling you two would get along but, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not..”

“I dunno, Pops..” she pondered mockingly, tapping a finger to her chin. “It was pretty fun playing the criminal today..”

Fedorian quietly laughed to himself whilst Hackett broke out in a small smile. Anderson simply shook his head in defeat, looking over at Garrus.

“You see what I’m talking about, Vakarian?” he said, pointing in her direction. “..trouble.”

“I’ll do my best to keep her on the straight and narrow until we reach the Citadel, sir,” Garrus joked half-heartedly, either too tired or stressed to fully embrace the playful quip.

 _You’re a fine one to talk, Vakarian,_ she thought to herself angrily.

But, as he finished talking, all three projections lost their light-hearted expressions.

“About that.. I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans,” Hackett said, his posture stiffening slightly. “You’ve been officially called upon by the Council. As you know, they have the power to supersede our orders if they require Vakarian’s assistance in a Spectre capacity. The Normandy and its crew are to head for Eden Prime immediately at their behest.”

“Eden Prime?” Shepard queried. “What’s so urgent that the Council have got involved?”

“A science team from the human colony there recently unearthed a beacon that’s believed to be.. _Prothean_.. in origin,” Fedorian explained. “Since this beacon could contain technologically significant information, the Council have requested that you secure it and bring it to the Citadel for study.”

“The Protheans?” Shepard said in disbelief. “But.. I thought they vanished 50,000 years ago?”

“They did,” Garrus offered. “But their legacy still remains. The Mass Relays.. the Citadel.. our ship drives.. it’s all based on Prothean technology.”

“Vakarian’s right,” Hackett confirmed. “This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward 200 years.”

“Eden Prime doesn’t have the facilities to handle something like this,” Anderson interjected. “That’s why we need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study.”

“If that’s the case, sounds like this goes beyond humanities interests..” Shepard mused.

“You’re exactly right, Commander,” Fedorian agreed. “This discovery could affect every species in Council space.”

“No wonder the Council wanna get their greedy little mitts on it first,” Shepard quipped.

“The Citadel is the best place for the beacon to be safely monitored, Shepard,” said Hackett, dismissing her insinuation. “Who knows what we’re dealing with here, we need to handle this carefully.”

“Of course, sir,” she conceded.

“So, our mission is simply to locate and retrieve the beacon, then escort it to the Citadel?” Garrus asked.

“That’s right, son,” Anderson confirmed. “You’ll need to take Spectre Kryik along with you as well, given the nature of the mission. We’ll give him a run-down of the situation promptly, then we’ll all reconvene once you reach the Exodus Cluster.”

“Noted,” Garrus confirmed. “I’ll have Joker set a course for Eden Prime immediately, sir.”

“That would be wise,” Hackett interjected. “Consider this mission now your first and only priority, we don’t want to risk anyone else getting their hands on it before we do. In the meantime, speak to EDI to see what intel she can give you about the Protheans. There may be something we can use to help us once you’ve secured the beacon.”

With the formalities and briefing for the new mission concluded, it didn’t take long for the conference to come to an end. As ever, Hackett was the first to go, not one to hang around for small talk. Fedorian followed shortly after, though his farewells were far less short and to the point than the reticent Admiral. In the end, only one projection remained. Shepard was beginning to feel like that hadn’t been an accident, especially with the concerned look on his face.

“You okay there, kiddo?” he said sincerely. “You were like a toddler on a sugar high in the meeting this morning. Now you seem..”

Regardless of the fact the source of her foul mood was standing right next to her, she couldn’t tell him even if she wanted to.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Pops,” she cut in, sighing a little. “Just been a long day is all.”

“Sounds like it,” he replied. “Well, both of you can take the rest of the day for yourselves, I’d say you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Anderson gave a cheerful nod to Garrus in reply, his gaze quickly shifting back to Shepard.

“Why don’t you go and get yourself some hot cocoa, hmm?” he offered. “That always used to help you unwind..”

“Cocoa?” she snorted. “I’m not twelve anymore, Pops..”

“Oh? So, you won’t want to visit Jocundus when you come back to the Citadel then?” he teased.

Oh man, she hadn’t thought of that place in the longest time. A homely little cafe ran by the sweetest elderly turian couple, tucked away on the Kithoi Ward. They served only the sweetest, freshly made delights of both the dextro and levo variety. Whenever they were on the Citadel, Pops would always take her there for some of their famous hot cocoa, loaded up with the full works; cream, marshmallows, chocolate sauce, chocolate flakes.. all piled on until it practically poured down the sides. She could feel her mouth watering just thinking about it. A biotic’s dream. Their visits to Jocundus were the rare times they could enjoy just hanging out together. Not a frequent occurrence when living the chaotic military life. They carried on the little ritual even as she grew up, cherishing those quiet moments.

“Jocundus?” Garrus cut in, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I love that place, their libitas are.. incredible. Bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.”

_Ugh, of course they are. Why am I not surprised? Seems I’m discovering a lot of his guilty fucking pleasures today._

“You’re not the only one,” Anderson said amusingly. “This one here used to eat so many she’d be bouncing off the damn walls.”

Very true.. and totally worth it. Libitas were similar to what humans would call a macaron, though they were softer, fluffier.. and tasted like honey infused with warm spices. They were fucking delicious, and incredibly moreish.

“If they didn’t want me to eat them all, they shouldn’t make them taste so damn good,” she shrugged.

“I once ate about twenty without even blinking. I tried to recreate them myself but, they just tasted like old boots,” Garrus joked, shuddering as he reflected on the memory.

“You chow down on old boots very often?”

“When you’re living on dextro paste rations, worn footwear would be considered a delicacy.”

She laughed a little before she could stop it, scolding herself internally for letting her guard slip.

“Levo pastes aren’t much better,” Anderson joked. “God, I sure don’t miss those. You’d be welcome to join us at Jocundus, Vakarian. Though, I might have to call ahead so they know to stockpile enough libitas to feed an army.”

_No, no, no. God damn it, what is he doing?_

Playing nice through a conference call is one thing. Going for afternoon tea together? _Very_ different kettle of fish.

“Pops, I’m sure Vakarian has better things to do with his shore leave than come for cocoa with us.”

“I wouldn’t wanna intrude,” Garrus said cautiously. “I’m sure you both have a lot of catching up to do, you don’t need me getting in your way.”

“Well, the offer stands,” Anderson conceded. “Anyway, kiddo, I better head off. Kahlee’s gonna call me any minute now, don’t wanna keep a lady waiting. We’ll talk again when you reach the Exodus Cluster, alright?”

“Sure thing, Pops. Say hi to Kahlee for me.”

“Will do. Good job today, both of you,” he said sincerely. “Fly safe.”

As his projection disappeared, it left only she and Garrus alone once more. Whilst the meeting had eventually allowed for the day’s events to quieten within her mind, it took barely seconds for the thoughts to hammer right back in there. They immediately briefed Joker on the situation, with him more than happy to finally get the Normandy back in the air. Now came the part she’d least been looking forward to, finding out the truth. The elevator ride to their floor felt even longer than usual. Given the technological marvels this ship had to offer, she was certain it was purely intended to test their patience. The atmosphere that hung between them was.. different, and not in a good way. Despite being crammed inside this little metal box together, she’d never felt further away from him. As mad as she was, she didn’t like it.

“You manage to debrief Kryik in the end or do we still need to do that?” she asked curtly.

He startled a little, as if not expecting her to have spoken to him unless necessary. Truth be told, she felt petty enough right now to give him the cold shoulder but, the silence was painful. Even forced conversation was better in comparison.

“Uh.. no,” he admitted, clearing his throat. “When I saw.. you know.. I just painted my markings back on and came to find you. Nihlus can wait.”

“How noble of you. Well, I’m gonna leave that one to you, if you don’t mind,” she said plainly. “Something tells me I’ll wanna be on my own for a while once this is done.”

She watched him visibly shrink at his remark, his mandibles pulled tight against his jaw. The doors opened to their floor and she almost leapt out, as if the tense atmosphere in such a confined space made it hard to breathe.

“No, I don’t mind, but.. Shepard, it’s not what you think, alright?” he insisted as he followed her into her cabin, his tone desperate. “The way Velsia acted, the things she said.. I don’t blame you for being upset, but-“

She did a swift 180 at that, stopping just short of the steps.

“ _Upset?_ ” she cut in angrily. “I’m not upset, Garrus. I’m _pissed_. This whole time, I thought we’d been keeping quiet and playing it safe so that _eventually_ we could have something more. But it was all bullshit, you just didn’t wanna get caught out. What even am I to you, anyway, hmm? A kinky alien experiment to tick off the bucket list? One last flash in the pan before you tie the knot?”

His posture noticeably bristled in response, as if offended by her words. 

“If that were the case, why the hell would I have even agreed to mark you?”

“I don’t know, Garrus, you tell me,” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “To keep me sweet, maybe? Have yourself a little plaything readily available while you’re onboard..”

“Do you seriously think I would do that to you?” he asked angrily. “That I _could_ do that?”

“If you’d have asked me a few hours ago, I would have said ‘not a chance in hell’.. now, I have absolutely no fucking idea.”

“I would _never_ do that. Especially to you,” he snapped, clenching his fists tight. “Spirits, I’ve never even marked a woman before you, Eva..”

It was the first time she’d heard him use her name for a couple of weeks. Using it now, trying to soften her up.. dirty tactics.

“Uh, uh,” she countered, shaking her head angrily. “You don’t call me that, remember? I know what you’re trying to do, Vakarian, and I am _way_ too damn mad for it to work.”

He rubbed his hand down his face wearily, huffing out a frustrated sigh.

“For spirits sake, I’m not _trying_ to do anything. What does it matter, anyway? We’re the only ones here. Besides, you didn’t exactly seem bothered about the ‘rules’ earlier..”

She stormed closer, feeling a wave of anger surge through her.

“Really? You’re seriously gonna throw that in my face right now?”

“Oh, for the love of.. I’m not throwing it in your face, _Shepard_ ,” he bit out, making an exaggerated point of emphasising her name. “I’m merely pointing out that, in perspective, it’s hardly a big deal when we were literally having sex a few hours ago.”

She didn’t want to think about it. How damn hot it was. How incredible he feels. How much relief it brought to finally be close to him again. She felt like a fucking idiot.

“You’re right, we were. But it will _not_ be happening again, I can promise you that,” she said severely, locking eyes with him. “And if I’d have known you were **_engaged_** , I would never have allowed it to happen in the first damn place. I will not be your dirty little secret, Garrus.”

“Spirits, would you just calm damn for five seconds and let me explain?” he barked in a tired, pleading tone. “Velsia is _not_ my intended.. we’re not even together.”

_Does he seriously expect me to believe that?_

“Yeah, pull the other one,” she said indignantly. “It’s got bells on.”

He shook his head in confusion, his brow plates furrowed in his agitated state.

“What?!”

“It means ‘I’m not a fucking idiot’, Garrus,” she chided. “Why the hell would she say any of that if it wasn’t true? She spoke to me like I was no more than a damn animal, why would she even care enough to lie to me?”

“Because that’s just who she is,” he huffed. “Velsia is a self-absorbed, narcissistic bitch. Always has been. Look..”

He sighed heavily, walking over to lean against the wall. His hands slipped into the pockets of his sweatpants as he stared down at his feet, only the bubbling of the fish tank filling the silence as he pondered what to say.

“Do you remember what I said to you about my father, about me leaving Palaven?”

The memories of that morning in her apartment flooded through her mind. With everything that had happened since then, it felt like so long ago. She felt the anger subside a little, just enough for the tension in her shoulders to ease away.

“Yeah, you said he was trying to dictate your life.”

“Yeah, well.. this is one of the things I was talking about,” he explained. “I’m not sure what human customs are but, for turians, it’s common for higher class clans to formally arrange an amare cupla to strengthen both family’s claims within the Hierarchy..”

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“Alright, let’s just pretend for five minutes that I don’t speak turian..” she sighed. “What the hell is an ‘amare cupla’?”

“It’s the official turian term for bondmates.”

“Right,” she replied. “Well, humans used to have something similar but, I don’t think it really happens anymore.”

She paused briefly, trying to put the pieces together.

“So, what.. your father arranged this ‘amare cupla’ between you two and you took off because you didn’t want it?”

“Not exactly,” he answered with a shake of his head, gaze still fixed on the floor. “The arrangement was never finalised. Consent has to be given by both parties involved in the bonding for it to be officially accepted.”

“..and you didn’t give your consent, I take it?”

“Spirits, no,” he grumbled, shuddering as if he’d just eaten something he didn’t care for the taste of. “You spoke to her. How could I be bonded with someone like that?”

He slumped down to the floor, running his hand along the length of his fringe.

“I thought leaving Palaven would be enough to escape it but, Velsia’s parents and my father have been pushing for this for years.. I don’t know if they’ll ever drop it.”

She huffed out a breath as she sat herself down across from him, folding her legs as she leaned back against the banister.

“Garrus, I wanna believe you, but.. the way she spoke of you, it was so.. _possessive_. And the way you speak of her.. there’s gotta be a reason behind that. I’ve never known you to speak of someone so harshly, especially for no reason.”

He finally met her eye, the defeated look he gave her practically confirming her suspicions before he'd even replied.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “She and I were together once upon a time. But, we were teenagers. I was completely different back then, I didn’t see her for what she truly was.”

“Just wanted to bang her, huh?” she joked.

“No, it wasn’t like that,” he sighed. “We were.. what.. fourteen/fifteen at the time? Velsia was _that girl_ in my school. You know what I mean; most popular, most attractive. All the girls wanted to be her and all the boys wanted her..”

“No idea, never went to school,” she said vaguely, shrugging a shoulder. “But I follow your meaning. Continue..”

“You.. you know what? Never mind,” he huffed. “Anyway, back then.. I was this scrawny little awkward kid who just wanted to build stuff and play video games, ya know? Outside of Rae and Chellick, I didn’t really have any friends. Obviously I had Nih but, he’s a few years older, he was already in the military by that point. I’d never even had a girlfriend before. So, when Velsia started showing me attention.. of course I went for it.”

Looking at his hulking, muscular form.. it was difficult to picture him ever being anything but.

“You? Scrawny?” she snorted. “I call bullshit.”

He laughed a little at that, a small smirk spreading across his features.

“It’s true. I was a.. late bloomer, shall we say.”

“Well, that’s certainly one hell of a growth spurt,” she teased. “So, what happened?”

His mandibles pulled tight against his jaw, seemingly pained by the memory.

“I was young and dumb, as most teenagers are. A girl had never paid attention to me before, I thought I’d hit the jackpot when Velsia started showing interest in me. Chellick tried to warn me but, Rae.. well.. you’ve met him, you can imagine what he was like at that age..”

Her eyes widened in an ‘oh, hell yeah’ expression. Christ, he must have been the epitome of a horny teenager.

“We were together for a little while but, turns out she’d been with this other guy behind my back for most of it. Titus Vespillo..”

“Let me guess.. he was ‘that guy’ in your school.”

“Called it in one,” he said, laughing indignantly. “When I found out, obviously I was devastated. So, I confronted her.. she didn’t deny it. In fact, she just laughed. She admitted that the only reason she was with me in the first place was because her parents had put her up to it. They were even more eager for this arranged pairing than my father, and were desperate to put in some ‘groundwork’ early.. solidify their chances. Admittedly, once I, uh.. _grew up.._ Velsia suddenly became a lot more interested in the idea. But, she never wanted _me_.. she just wants the Vakarian name.”

“She sounds like a world class bitch.”

“She is,” he said bitterly. “Over the years, her parents have tried to sweeten the deal of our bonding agreement, and I’ve denied it every time.”

“So, why are her parents so desperate to make this happen? Are Vakarians like turian royalty or something?”

He hummed a little in consideration, contemplating how to answer.

“Not royalty exactly. But, Vakarian is one of the oldest Palavenian clans,” he explained. “We’re well respected within the Hierarchy with a high social standing. That kinda position comes with certain.. expectations.”

“Like being bonded to someone of equal stature?”

“Or as close to,” he said begrudgingly. “Velsia’s father is the CEO of Opes Industries, it’s the biggest technological corporation on Palaven. That’s why my father was so keen on the idea too. We bring them into one of the oldest clans of our people, and in return they bring their added wealth. A mutually beneficial agreement. It’s a business deal, simple as that. Every now and again Velsia reaches out to deliver her little sales pitch to try and talk me round to the idea. And everytime she’s met with the same answer.”

“..and that’s what she was doing today?”

“Most likely.”

She exhaled a heavy breath, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. This was so much to process. On the one hand, she was quietly relieved that he wasn’t actually engaged. Though, a pang of guilt niggled in her gut for letting her temper get the best of her. On the other hand, this still seemed like something that could have an impact on their own situation eventually.

“Okay, look,” she began. “I’m sorry for getting so angry before finding out the full story. It’s just.. after what happened on the mission and everything we've been through, to find out about Velsia.. it felt like everything up to that point had been a lie. But.. this ‘amare cupla'.. if you truly believe that your father won’t stop pushing for it, don’t you think I deserved to know? Would you ever have told me about it?”

A short laugh escaped him, though it wasn’t a happy one. He shook his head in disbelief, his brow plates furrowed in annoyance.

“Yeah.. no offence, Shepard,” he said indignantly. “But I hardly think you’re in a position to lecture me about that.”

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Put it this way.. we managed to break into a vault today that was specifically designed to be impenetrable.. and it was _nothing_ compared to trying to learn more about _you_. Even the damn Primarch now knows more than I do, apparently. You are the last person to be preaching about keeping secrets, Shepard.”

Just when she'd simmered down enough to discuss this calmly, his snippy attitude brought her right back to where she started. She instantly got to her feet, her whole body going tense and rigid like she’d been struck with a cryo blast.

“That is such **bullshit** , those situations are in no way the same and you know it! Are you seriously trying to tell me that if Pops was trying to hook me up with another guy, you wouldn’t feel like you’d have a right to know about that?”

“Well, I already have to deal with Alenko and Rae constantly hovering around you.. what’s one more?” he chided, avoiding her gaze.

His tone was so sarcastic and distant, she’d never seen him like this before. It fuelled her like a red rag to a bull, the glimmer of her biotics teasing to the surface and tingling across her skin.

“And I have to listen to Kelly and Gabby drivel on about their little spicy fantasies about you every damn day. What’s your point?”

He shook his head and got to his feet, those huge arms crossing over his chest like a barrier between them.

“The difference there, Shepard, is that I don’t give them anything to imply that I’m interested. In fact, quite the opposite..”

Crystal blue eyes finally met her own, his gaze so intense she could almost physically feel it.

“..but, you?” he continued. “You pander to it. You had no qualms about smashing up the damn Shuttle Deck to put Caenia in her place but, you’re quite happy to play along with Rae and have Alenko at your heels. You sure you don’t enjoy it?”

Her feet were carrying her before she even consciously thought of her next move, stampeding towards him with an accusing finger aimed his way.

“You know what? Fuck you, Garrus,” she snapped. “You know damn well that I already told Alenko I’m not interested, and Rae will flirt with anything that has a pulse. As for Caenia? I have tried my damned hardest to take the high road every time she’s gotten in my face, for the sake of this project and keeping the peace. But today was the _wrong_ fucking day to try and piss me off. I’m not saying my little outburst was intentional, but maybe now she’ll think twice before doing it again. I can’t believe I’m even having to justify this to you. If you seriously believe that I’m the sorta girl who likes guys clawing for my affection, then you obviously don’t know a god damn thing about me.”

Her last words came through trembled lips, both pain stricken and angry. How could he even suggest that? Everything they’d been through.. everything they’d shared.. how the hell did they wind up here? She could hear the growl in his chest, feel the tension practically oozing off him. Only a few hours ago, they were all over each other. Now she felt like she was looking at nothing more than a stranger.

“You’re right,” he said angrily. “I don’t. But who’s fault is that, Shepard, hmm? Spirits knows I’ve tried but, you just shut me out. You shut _everyone_ out. I’ve told you things I never speak about to anyone. But you are _so_ desperate to be some sort of cryptic mystery that you won’t let me in. And I’m not even talking about the big stuff, you’re not ready to tell me and I'll have to accept that.”

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as if to calm himself, his fingers twitching restlessly.

“I heard what Joker said earlier,” he said finally. “You’re not sleeping. You cut him off before he could finish because, for some reason, you don’t want me to know. Why?”

Damn it, she knew that was going to come back and bite her in the ass. Joker and his big mouth.

“Why aren’t I sleeping, or why didn’t I want you to know about it?”

He leaned back on his foot, a short huff of exasperation escaping his nostrils.

“Both.”

How the hell was she supposed to answer that right now? What was she supposed to say? That for the past few years, she’d been plagued with night terrors. Her past coming back to haunt her in her dreams where she couldn’t fight the thoughts away or block out the screams ringing through her mind. How she’d wake up, drenched in sweat and fighting tears, and force herself to stay awake because she didn’t dare try and sleep again. It happened every single night like clockwork.. until she met Garrus. The nights they’d shared together had been the rare exceptions where her mind had granted her a peaceful sleep. He’d made her feel safe, protected. His presence and warmth had kept her nightmares at bay. And as soon as they had to say their goodbyes, the nightmares had come back stronger than ever. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that to him, not like this. Now was not the time to give him that power of knowing just how much she felt for him, of the effect he had on her.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said quietly as she rubbed her upper arm like a nervous tick, avoiding his burning gaze.

“Right,” he said coldly. “Well, this is obviously going nowhere so, I think we’re done here."

He stormed towards the door and she could feel her heart breaking with each step he took.

“I think it’s probably for the best if we put the brakes on this for a while,” he said over his shoulder, stopping for a moment to say his piece. “Things started off pretty intense and I obviously got the wrong idea.”

With that, he carried on walking without so much as a second glance or a goodbye. She couldn’t let him leave. Damn it, she couldn’t lose him. Not yet, not like this.

“Garrus, wait,” she begged, rushing for him.

She tentatively placed a hand on his forearm and gave the lightest pleading squeeze. He stopped just short of the doors, looking down at her hand before meeting her eye.

“You gotta give me something, Shepard,” he sighed. “How are we supposed to work if you can’t even talk to me?”

“Garrus, you know so much more about me than you think,” she assured him. “More than most people do.”

“I’m not talking about you being some sort of mega biotic, Shepard,” he snapped. “I’m talking about _you_. Where are you from? Why didn’t you go to school? How does a twelve year old girl come to be the ward of an Alliance Admiral? Why didn’t you stay with your family?”

Their faces flashed through her mind making her breath catch like a lump in her throat.

“Because I couldn’t,” she whispered.

“Why not?”

“Please, Garrus,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “Just drop it.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling far too vulnerable. But he was just too damn mad right now to listen. Those cerulean eyes stayed fixed on her face, brow plates furrowed in his severity.

“No, Shepard,” he snapped. “That’s all I’ve done since we first met. If you can’t let me in, I don’t see how this can work. This is your last chance, or I walk out of here and we’re done. So, I’ll ask again.. why not?”

She should have just let him walk out the door. But the words came flying out in a garbled fury before she could stop them.

“ **Because they’re _dead_ , Garrus!**” she yelled, tears building in her eyes. **“** They are _all_ dead. Murdered right in front of my fucking eyes when I was nine years old. Anderson became my guardian because I didn’t have anyone else.. I _don’t_ have anyone else. There, are you happy now?”

He instantly softened, regret written all over his face as a keening whimper softly rumbled in his chest.

“Shepard, I’m so sorry,” he said sadly, reaching out for her. “I didn’t know, I-"

She immediately stepped out of his range, summoning a biotic barrier around herself. Partly to keep him away, mostly to obscure the view of the tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

“Don’t touch me,” she cried. “I didn’t tell you because I don’t want your damn pity. You got what you wanted, Garrus. Now get out.”

“Shepard..” he pleaded in a solemn tone, tentatively reaching for the barrier.

“If you touch that, it _will_ hurt this time,” she snapped. “I’ve done as you asked. Please, just.. leave me alone.”

She turned to face the other way, unable to bear looking at him for a moment longer. She’d had enough pitying glances cast her way to last a lifetime. She couldn’t deal with it, not from him. Eventually, she heard a heavy, defeated sigh and the sound of the doors hissing open from behind her.

“I’m sorry, Eva.”

And just like that, he was gone. The barrier dissipated and her legs buckled beneath her, overwrought with so many emotions as she sank down to the floor. The dam broke. All that anger replaced with sheer sorrow. The sort of grief that leaves a mark on your soul forever. The mere mention of them bringing memories to the forefront of her mind that she’d spent years locking away. All of it pouring out in utterly heartbroken sobs until she could barely breathe.

She could see their smiling faces, hear their laughter and cheers. Then their cries, her hands gripping her head tightly to try and suppress their agonised screams shrieking in her mind. Until there was only the memory of their silence. The finality of it.

_It should have been me.._

(Drawings added below for examples)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, writing this one pained me. I'd love nothing more than for them to just stay super fluffy all the time but, sadly life doesn't work that way. Things will be a little angsty for a while but, it won't be forever, don't worry. It's also why this one took so long to write, it just felt wrong.
> 
> As I said in the Summary, let me know about your thoughts about illustrations. I've already started one of our Shakarian duo and am excited to show you. What I've learned so far is that turians are exceptionally tricky to draw. 
> 
> Stay safe everyone, thanks for reading as always!


	15. Paradiso becomes Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well. 
> 
> I know the last chapter was a bit emotional, hopefully this one will make you all feel a bit better. This is one of the chapters I've been thinking about when I first decided to write this so, I was able to crack on with it much easier. Hope you enjoy!

Garrus lingered just outside Shepard’s door, the sound of her distraught cries cutting through him like a knife to the chest. All he wanted to do was go back in there, scoop her up in his arms and apologise for being such a jackass. But, as much as he didn’t like it, he had to respect her wishes and give her some space. Even standing in the hallway, he could feel the static of her biotic power tingling in the atmosphere. After what happened on the Shuttle Deck, pushing her right now was dangerous.

He was so fucking mad with himself. Why couldn’t he have just swallowed his damn pride and admit he should have told her about Velsia? Instead, he’d gotten too wrapped up in his own jealousy and shortcomings that he’d lashed out at the last person he’d ever want to hurt.

_Stupid turian. All you’ve done is make things worse._

With the sounds of her grieving cries still filling his ears, he felt a boiling anger brewing inside himself that he could barely contain. At himself. At Velsia for fucking everything up. At whoever the hell murdered Shepard’s family. And someone else, too. With that, he reluctantly moved away from Shepard’s cabin and into the elevator. He may not be able to be there for her in the way that he wanted, but he was certainly going to do _something_. Something he should have done much, much sooner.

The doors opened to the Shuttle Deck and he instantly headed for the training area. Fists clenched, heart pounding, he barely gave anyone on deck a hint of acknowledgement. Intently focused on the one person he’d come to see. She was sparring with her bondmate even as Garrus grew close, though rough foreplay would be a closer summation. They finally untangled themselves from one another as he stopped outside of the ring, both chirruping casually in greeting. When he didn’t return the gesture, Caenia quickly realised that he hadn’t stopped by to exchange pleasantries and hopped out of the ring to meet him.

“What’s going on, Captain?” she queried, her subvocals trilling curiously.

“We need to talk about Shepard.”

After grabbing their water bottles from the opposite side of the ring, Fabus climbed out to join the fray, handing one of the bottles to his mate.

“Heh, for such a tiny human, she packs a mean punch,” he said amusingly, taking a few thirsty gulps of his drink. “Didn’t see that coming.”

Caenia growled in response, shooting blazing daggers his way that made his eyes widen in apprehension.

“If you find her so impressive, why don’t you go and drool over her like Raelus and Chellick?” she snapped, a harsh snarl lacing her words.

A hearty chuckle rumbled in Fabus’ chest as he wrapped a huge arm around her slender waist to pull her in close to him.

“Why would I wanna do that when I’ve already got the most beautiful woman in the world, huh?” he purred with a content grin.

She stiffened for the briefest moment in stubborn resistance before melting beneath his hands, quietly giggling to herself as he nuzzled into her neck and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. She shoved him away playfully, shushing him as her focus returned to their present company.

“Sorry, Captain,” she giggled, trying to keep a straight face. “What were you saying?”

“Shepard,” he said again, bluntly. “Up ‘til now, I’ve tried to handle this situation delicately because I know you, and I get that your heart is in the right place. But you took it too far today.”

“ _I_ took it too far?” she snapped. “You saw what she did, right?!”

Caenia stepped aside to gesture to the huge mound of rubble in the far corner behind her, the aftermath of Shepard’s biotic blast. It hadn’t yet been cleared away but, the surrounding area had been tidied since he left.

“Yes, I did,” he said calmly. “But let’s be honest, shall we? You’ve been goading Shepard since the day she joined us. Despite several warnings on my part _not_ to do so. You knew she could hear what you were saying earlier because, you wanted her to hear you. I’ve always admired your ability to speak your mind, Caenia, but now you’re just acting like a bully. It’s beneath you, and it stops now. Understood?”

Caenia's brow plates furrowed into a scowl, her arms folding across her chest. Fabus simply stood quietly behind her, observing the confrontation.

“So, the little puella has a biotic tantrum that could have hurt any one of us, and _I’m_ the one being reprimanded?” she chided. “Spirits, this is unbelievable.”

A growl rumbled in his chest, the anger still rife within him making his talons itch. There were many advantages to your crew being your closest friends. That level of trust and understanding went a long way on the field. However, it also blurred that line between friend and subordinate. Whilst he respected a soldier who could speak up and challenge authority when necessary, this was one of those occasions where it wasn’t warranted or appreciated.

“What’s unbelievable is that you’re still arguing this after I’ve explicitly told you to drop it,” he countered, trying to keep his composure. “This isn’t a friendly request, Caenia, it’s an order. I’m not saying you have to like Shepard, but from now on, you _will_ keep it to yourself if you don’t. No more ‘puella’. No more complaints unless there’s genuine, justified reasoning behind them. No more snide remarks when she’s around. Consider this your final warning. And trust me when I say that you do _not_ want to find us having this conversation again.”

“But-“

He raised a hand to cut her off before she could say more.

“I’m assigning you to all cleaning duties for the duration of our journey to Eden Prime.. that includes assisting Aurelio with the clean up in the Mess. Failure to do so will result in an extension of these terms until I see fit to revoke them.”

Her eyes shot open wide in shock, jaw hanging just slightly agape.

“What?!”

Fabus stepped forward, coming to stand by her side.

“Come on, Garrus,” he urged. “Lighten up. Caenia can play nice with the human.. can’t you, babe?”

He nudged her with his elbow, encouraging her to confirm his promise. Garrus folded his arms across his chest, his gaze unblinking to show them he had no intention of backing down from this.

“Under the circumstances, this is actually a very lenient punishment,” Garrus insisted. “Commander Shepard is the Executive Officer of the Normandy, which by all rights makes her your superior. The level of blatant insubordination going on here is unacceptable, and it ends today.”

Looking between his two friends, he sighed in frustration. Maybe he was treating them too harshly but, the nicer route hadn’t exactly worked either.

“Look, I know this hasn’t been easy for you. Either of you. And I appreciate you sticking by me regardless,” he said sincerely. “But I _need_ you to try and put your views aside and work with the humans on the crew. Project Concordia is never going to work if its own people are battling with each other. I’ve got too much to worry about as it is without having to deal with these internal grievances.”

Long moments of silence hung in the air as he awaited their reply.

“Of course, Captain,” Fabus grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

Caenia opened her mouth to speak, looking as if she were about to protest. Quiet little anxious hums resonated from Fabus' throat, pleading for his mate to back down, and she seemed to take heed.

“Yes, Captain,” she said finally in a sulking tone. “I will be civil to the humans, Shepard included, for your sake. But I will _never_ class them as my friends.”

“Fine, I guess I can’t ask for more than that,” he said bluntly. “I need to go check on the rest of the crew so, that’ll be all. Your cleaning duties are effective immediately, Caenia.. I suggest you finish up here and get started unless you wanna be working through the night cycle. Leave the Upper Deck, I’ll take care of that.”

“Of course, sir,” she grumbled, nodding her head begrudgingly.

He met their gaze and nodded in conclusion, letting them get back to their ‘sparring’. Ignoring the quiet curses and disgruntled complaints that were exchanged as he took his leave, he made for the elevator, letting his commanding demeanour fade away as the doors closed behind him. Spirits, what a long fucking day. There was no doubt that Caenia needed to be put in her place, her actions were totally out of line. That being said, she wasn’t solely at fault. Whilst she may have been the catalyst for Shepard’s outburst today, it was _his_ fuck up that had upset her in the first place. He was as much to blame.

It was hard not to think about her. Think about the softness of her skin as she’d wrapped herself around him, how damn good she’d tasted in his mouth. How she moved on the field, like a force of nature. It’d been fucking perfect. Yet, now all he could think about was how much she’d suffered. Witnessing the deaths of her own family at such a young age. Watching powerlessly as her entire unit got slaughtered on Akuze. Enduring all of that and still being able to walk around with a smile, head held high.. that was _true_ strength. Until he’d backed her into a corner and forced her to open up before she was ready.

_Is she still crying up there?_

The thought pained him. In his attempt to encourage her to let her barriers down and let him in, he’d only pushed her farther away. There were so many unanswered questions, only increasing the more he learned about her. For now, the only question he cared about was had he pushed her too far, and would he be able to salvage what they had?

As the days went by, the answer to his question seemed less and less hopeful. For the first time since Shepard joined the crew, their relationship truly was strictly professional, and nothing more. They exchanged polite, civil greetings when others were around but, she stopped joining him and his friends in the Mess at meal times. Instead, she buried herself in her work to avoid suspicion when her absence was highlighted. And whilst she continued her daily rounds as normal, there was one particular stop that she’d crossed off the list. Garrus had spent the first few days anxiously waiting, staying in the Main Battery way longer than he usually would, hoping for a visit that never came. Until eventually, he stopped waiting. And by the time they’d reached Eden Prime, it was as though they really were nothing more than partners in this project. Both too damn stubborn to make the first move, to talk things through. Luckily, the crew didn’t seem to notice but, the atmosphere left Garrus feeling like a caged avem. Restless and tense, with a strong urge to break free of the damn ship and kill something. With the Normandy closing in on their target destination, it wouldn’t be long until he got his wish.

His armoured footsteps chorused throughout the Comm Room as he paced back and forth across the space. Whilst Nihlus, on the other hand, appeared far more at ease. Casually leaning against the wall, humming a little tune to himself as his armoured talons drummed rhythmically against the railings.

“Spirits, Gar-bear,” Nihlus said finally. “If you carry on for much longer, you’re gonna wear the floor out.”

“Hmm?” he mumbled, continuing his stride.

In all honesty, he wasn’t really listening. Too many thoughts running through his mind to focus. Today they’d be searching for this Prothean beacon, and he’d working closely with Shepard for the first time since the day of the heist. Even when they’d had their meeting with the project leaders a couple of days ago, it had been so business like between them. Cold and distant. What the hell was it going to be like today? For the sake of the mission, they’d need to put any personal grievances aside and focus on getting the job done. Would they still be able to work so well together on the field? The key to a strong, functioning team is communication. Can’t exactly have that if you’re barely talking to one another.

“Spirits,” Nihlus chided, stepping forward to block his path. “Would you stop? You’re making me edgy. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” he said vaguely, avoiding Nihlus’ gaze. “Just thinking about the mission.”

Emerald green eyes held a scrutinising glare aimed in his direction.

“Right,” Nihlus drawled, folding his arms across his chest. “And by ‘mission’ do you mean ‘Shepard’?”

Garrus gave him a fleeting look in response and his features softened, fully aware of the situation.

“You guys still aren’t talking, huh?”

“Uh.. no,” he admitted, sighing a little. “Not really. Only when we need to.”

Nihlus just shook his head tiresomely, looking down at the metal grating between their feet.

“You’re both as stubborn as each other,” he chided.

“I _tried_ to talk to her after the meeting,” Garrus countered, maybe a little too defensively. “But she stormed off before I could even get a word in. I just don’t want this to have a negative impact amongst the ground team or the mission.”

“I’d say that’s highly unlikely,” Nihlus shrugged. “You’re both professionals and take your jobs seriously. Whatever is going on between you two personally, I don’t think either of you would allow that to compromise the mission. And if you do.. I’ll just bang your heads together when no one’s looking.”

He let out a short laugh, feeling the tension subside just a little.

“Well, hopefully it won’t come to that,” he tittered.

A few moments of silence hung in the air.

“Things will work out, Gar-Bear,” Nihlus said finally, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Shepard cares about you.”

“Clearly.”

“Garrus, think about it.. you said you gave her two options; tell you what you wanted to know, or call it quits between you.”

His mandibles pulled tight against his jaw at the painful reminder, still just as mad with himself as he had been in the moment.

“Yes.. and then I upset her so much she conjured a damn barrier around herself and kicked me out.”

“True, that’s not exactly ideal but.. Shepard isn’t one to get upset easily. Whatever she told you, I imagine it took a lot for her to do that.”

That vulnerable look in her tear-filled eyes flashed through his mind. Her hands gripping her upper arms to try and keep herself grounded. The sounds of her cries as he stood just the other side of the door, the static of her biotic energy crackling through the atmosphere as she relived painful memories he’d awakened in her.

_“Garrus, please.. just drop it.”_

“Yeah, I get it, I’m an asshole,” Garrus growled. “Where are you going with this, Nih?”

“Well.. she still did it, right?” Nihlus said, his tone comforting. “She chose to tell you rather than walk away from.. whatever this is between you two.”

His eyes blinked a few times in surprise at the realisation.

“I, uh.. I guess I never really thought about it that way,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“That’s because you’ve been too busy having a pity party in your little hideout,” Nihlus teased, shaking his head. “Spirits, maybe I _should_ bang your heads together just to knock some sense into the pair of you.”

“I have _not_ been having a pity party.”

“Right,” Nihlus scoffed. “Caenia’s been scrubbing the ship from head to toe all week and even _she’s_ been sulking less than you. And this is _Caenia_ we’re talking about.”

“Very funny,” he droned. “Look, I’ll try to sort things out with Shepard, alright? Maybe this mission is just what we need.”

He looked around the Comm Room for a moment, suddenly realising she probably should have joined them a while ago now.

“Where is she, anyway?” he mused.

Nihlus opened his Omni-Tool to check the time, raising a brow plate quizzically.

“Good question,” he replied.

“EDI?”

A blue holo orb appeared at the terminal on the far side of the wall.

“Yes, Spectre Vakarian?” EDI answered. “What can I do for you?”

“Where’s Shepard?”

The familiar scent tickled his nose barely seconds later, answering his question before EDI had even replied.

“Commander Shepard is-“

“Right here,” came a smoky voice as the doors whooshed open. “Thanks, EDI. Sorry to interrupt.”

“No apologies necessary, Commander.”

The doors closed behind her as she ventured towards them, fully armoured up with Midnight slung over her shoulder. Despite their situation, he couldn’t help but quietly appreciate the view.

_Damn, I forgot how good she looks in that armour._

“Thank you, EDI,” he said, clearing his throat. “That’ll be all.”

“Of course, Spectre Vakarian,” the synthetic voice replied. “Logging you out.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Shepard said as she came to join them. “What did I miss?”

Garrus looked to his friend, their subvocals both humming in consideration as they contemplated how to answer.

“Nothing much,” Nihlus shrugged. “Figured we’d wait for you before we got to the good stuff.”

She eyed them both sceptically, sinking into her hip.

“Uh huh..” she drawled. “Well, I’ve just checked in with the ground team. They’re all hovering around the shuttle like it’s a damn lifeboat.. looks like just about everyone is itching for some action.”

“Anyone give you any trouble?”

She met Garrus’ eye with a look of understanding, knowing exactly who he was referring to.

“Surprisingly, no,” she shrugged. “Hopefully it’ll stay that way until we get the job done.”

“It’s hardly surprising,” Nihlus chuckled. “After the way Gar-bear put her in her place, I don’t think Caenia would dare try anything again. Even still, she knows better than to let any personal disputes compromise a mission.”

“Wait,” Shepard began, looking puzzled. “What is he talking about?”

Garrus sighed heavily, not really wanting to bring up that day in fear of opening old wounds.

“After.. you know.. what happened, I went to speak with Caenia,” he admitted. “Made sure she knew her actions were unacceptable and wouldn’t be tolerated moving forward.”

She blinked a few times in surprise.

“..you did?”

“Why do you think she’s the only one who’s been doing any cleaning around here lately?” Nihlus offered, smirking a little. “She certainly hasn’t been doing it for the fun of it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked Garrus, sounding surprised.

He felt a wave of frustration wash over him, reflecting on his failed attempts to try and open up conversation with her throughout their journey. How desperately she’d sought to avoid him unless necessary.

“You haven’t really given me much of a chance, Shepard,” he huffed.

At first, she gave him that pissed off, narrowed stare that told him another fight could be rapidly inbound. Though whatever she’d been thinking about in that moment seemed to change her mind, her features softening slightly. Her icy blue eyes flitted to Nihlus for a split second and it appeared that whatever she _truly_ wanted to say, she didn’t feel comfortable doing so in his presence.

“Well.. thank you,” she said instead, giving him a subtle nod. “I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, his words quiet. “I told you I’d always have your back, and I meant it. I’m just sorry I didn’t act sooner.”

She gave him a little wry smile in response. It wasn’t much but, it was a start. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a hissing crackle sounded throughout the room as the intercom speakers came to life.

“Uh, Captain..” came Joker’s wary voice. “We’ve got a problem..”

“What is it, Joker?”

“Transmission from Eden Prime, sir,” the pilot replied tentatively. “You better see this.”

“Bring it up on screen,” Garrus ordered.

They immediately gathered around the holo screen display, apprehensive as to what could make even Joker sound cautious. As soon as the recorded transmission began, the Comm Room chorused with the blasts of gunfire as they watched a unit of Alliance marines in the midst of heavy battle. A female soldier in white armour came into view, standing her ground as she provided her comrades with cover fire. Shortly after, the camera flitted around the battle scene frantically, making it hard to depict what the hell was going on.

 _“We are under attack and taking heavy casualties,”_ came the voice of a panicked marine as he appeared on the screen. _“I repeat; heavy casualties! We need evac, they came out of nowhere! We need-”_

The marine went down, the rest of his squadmates looking on in sheer terror at something off screen. As soon as Garrus heard the noise that followed, a feeling of dread settled in his gut. A roaring, ominous, synthetic shriek. Completely drowning out the gunfire. The camera followed their line of sight to the source of the eerie noise, the screen consumed by the image of a gargantuan looking spaceship. Even the very atmosphere surrounding it had darkened in its presence. Just as the agonised screams of the remaining marines echoed through the room, the transmission cut out abruptly, only a static hiss and pixelated screen taking its place.

“Everything cuts out after that,” came Joker’s voice. “No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead.. there’s nothing.”

“Skip it back ten seconds and hold it there,” Garrus ordered.

The transmission rewound for a moment until it stayed locked on the image of the unknown, ominous ship.

“Spirits..”

“What in the holy hanar hell is that?” Shepard gasped, stepping closer to the display.

“No idea,” Garrus answered, lost for words himself. “I’ve never seen a ship like it. Nih?”

“Me neither,” Nihlus mumbled, shaking his head. “EDI? Do you have any ideas?”

“I am unable to find any records correlating with this ship amongst my core programming,” came EDI’s voice through the speakers. “It appears to be of unknown design. In order to provide more accurate data, I would need to extrapolate scan readings taken from the ship itself.”

“You mean get a scan of the giant, creepy, space squid of doom?” Shepard interjected. “That’s gonna be a hard pass, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah.. good call,” came Joker’s nervous reply.

“Status report, Joker,” Garrus said, his tone commanding.

“We’re seventeen minutes out, Captain,” the pilot replied. “No signs of any Alliance or turian ships in the area for back up.”

Garrus ran his hand down the length of his fringe, exhaling heavily.

“What do you think, Nih?”

“We _need_ to get to that beacon,” he replied. “We’ll update the ground team, ensure everyone knows to proceed with extreme caution. That’s all we can do. I don’t like it either but, we _have_ to do this.”

His gaze fell to Shepard, wanting to gauge her reaction. She simply nodded in resolve, holding her rifle at the ready.

“Alright,” Garrus said finally. “Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated.”

With a new sense of purpose, the trio rushed for the Shuttle Deck. The ground team piled into the shuttle and set off with haste, soaring over the landscapes of Eden Prime to reach the drop point. Garrus brought the group up to speed, replaying the transmission and deliberating the plan moving forward.

“Shouldn’t we wait for back up or something?” Kaidan asked hesitantly, fidgeting in his seat. “That’s like no ship I’ve ever seen.”

Shepard glanced back at him over her shoulder, a hand clinging to the railing above her head to brace herself.

“Not an option, Alenko,” she said, shaking her head. “We already checked and there’s no one close enough to get here in time. We need to get in there and recover that beacon before anyone else does.”

“I dunno, this just seems like a bad idea,” Alenko said warily, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s only seven of us, going up against an unknown enemy that pretty much just wiped out an entire unit.”

Garrus watched Shepard's reaction, that subtle pained wince that she thought no one would see. The Lieutenant’s words unknowingly reminding her of her own unit’s demise as she lay fatally wounded, powerless to stop it.

“Which is _exactly_ why we need to give these bastards a little payback,” Vega said forcefully, sitting beside the Lieutenant.

“I admire your passion, Lieutenant,” Garrus offered. “But for now, our sole focus is to reach the dig site and extract the beacon as quickly and safely as possible.”

Both Kaidan and Vega looked to one another with a furrowed brow.

“So, we’re not even gonna look for survivors?” Kaidan snapped. “Surely _someone_ must have made it out? They may need our help, we can’t just leave them!”

Garrus didn’t care much for his tone. Didn’t much care for the way he kept sneakily glancing at Shepard’s ass while her back was turned either.

“We don’t have a choice, Alenko,” Shepard argued, severity overtaking her. “You saw the transmission, whatever attacked that unit is well armed and _extremely_ fucking dangerous. I’d bet my damn life that they’re here for the same reason we are. We know next to nothing about this beacon. For all we know, it could be some kind of Prothean weapon. We _cannot_ risk it falling into the wrong hands. Once the beacon is safely secured on the ship, we can think about coordinating a rescue mission.”

The Lieutenant blinked a few times in surprise, visibly shrinking at her words. Garrus fought down his smug grin, enjoying the moment way more than he probably should.

“Of course, Commander,” he conceded.

“Shepard’s right,” Nihlus confirmed, stepping into the fray. “In our line of work, you need to be able to make the hard decisions and look at the bigger picture. This enemy isn’t our only concern. Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems, if one of the Terminus races got a hold of the beacon first.. or worse; Aria.. we could risk an all out war.”

“Then why doesn’t the Council help, if it’s so important?” Vega grumbled.

“They are,” Garrus cut in. “ _We_ are the help, Lieutenant. They’ve entrusted us with this, and we cannot let them down.”

Vega slumped back in his chair, mumbling quiet curses to himself in a language Garrus’ translator couldn’t make out.

“I assure you, Lieutenant, I’m just as eager to seek justice for those soldiers,” Garrus assured him. “First; the beacon. Then we can think about looking for survivors and taking down the hostiles responsible.”

Vega seemed to perk up a little at that, nodding with a glint of determination in his eyes.

“We’re approaching the drop point, Captain,” came Cortez' voice through the speakers.

“You got it,” he confirmed. “Everyone ready?”

His eyes panned across the shuttle, studying each of the ground team in turn. Nihlus and Shepard nodded in reply, eager to get started. The rest of the team, however, still seemed a little apprehensive. Whether it was due to wariness about the mission, or the crew they’d be fighting beside for the first time, he wasn’t sure.

_I need to say something, bring them around. Spirits, I’ve never been good at this kinda thing._

“Don’t forget how you came to be here,” came Nihlus' proud voice. “What you lack in numbers, you _more_ than make up for in skill. Each of you were personally selected to join Concordia for your unique, profound talents in your respective fields. Remember that.. use it. Just be sure to stay on your guard and work together and you’ll be fine. You’ve got this.” 

Vega and Alenko looked at each other with a raised brow, seemingly relaxing a little. Caenia and Fabus, on the other hand, simply shrugged in indifference. Though Garrus knew them well enough to know Nihlus' words had struck home. The shuttle eventually slowed, everyone swaying a little as it steadied to a halt. The Spectre stood before the doors, waiting for them to open.

“Besides, you’re forgetting the most important thing; you’re going into this equipped with the galaxy’s deadliest weapon,” Nihlus boasted, glancing back over his shoulder. “.. _me_.”

The doors opened and he jumped out first, looking back at the ground team with a smirking grin.

“Ass,” Shepard snorted, jumping out after him.

“You love it,” he teased, winking at her with his emerald eyes.

She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully as the rest of the group swiftly disembarked the shuttle to join them.

“Good work, Cortez,” Garrus said before stepping off the shuttle. “Head back to the Normandy, we’ll make contact as soon as we have the beacon secured.”

“Copy that, Captain. Be safe out there.”

The thrum of the shuttle engine faded as it took off into the distance, the ground team finally stopping to take in their surroundings. Eden Prime was renown for it’s luscious climate. Clear blue skies, beautiful green pastures. Right now, it couldn’t be farther from that. The sky above was dark and gloomy, shrouded in black clouds that left a thick smog in the air.

The group gradually drifted away from the drop point as they made for the dig site. The eerie atmosphere had everyone on edge even more so than before, gripping their readied weapons just a little tighter with their careful footsteps.

“I’d always dreamed of seeing this place,” Shepard said solemnly, glancing around the area. “It was said to be a paradise. A symbol of humanity making it's mark as a space-faring species. Looks more like Inferno than Paradiso now.”

“I know it looks pretty bleak right now but, this place will heal in time, Shepard,” Nihlus assured her.

“I hope so,” she sighed. “Still, never thought I’d see us working on a mission together again, Kryik. Hope your combat skills haven’t gotten rusty in your old age..”

He raised a brow in intrigue, smirking a little.

“I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve, don’t you worry,” he boasted. “It’s good to have the old gang back together though, huh? Got more firepower this time around, too..”

“Damn right,” she beamed. “I can’t-"

“Hold up,” Garrus interjected, raising a hand to cut them off.

At the head of the pack, he stopped in his tracks as the path veered around a corner obscured from view. Something didn’t feel right, like an edgy feeling prickling at the back of his neck. The team halted at his command, waiting for his go ahead. Cautiously peering around the rocks, he scanned the area up ahead. No sign of any hostiles, it was totally quiet.. maybe a little _too_ quiet.

“Okay,” he confirmed with a nod. “Let’s go, just be on your guard.”

They heeded his orders, pressing on tentatively. Just when he was beginning to think he’d been imagining it, a barrage of gunfire hailed down from the top of the hill in the distance.

“Hostiles!”

Without even thinking, he immediately lunged forward and grappled Shepard’s waist, pulling her with him as he shot behind a huge boulder. Everyone had darted for cover of their own further up the way, popping out now and again to fire off a shot.

When his attention shifted back to Shepard, he became acutely aware of just how close she was. Backed up against the boulder and pressed up against him, his body shielding her from the outside world. His hand held her waist in a protective grasp, unconsciously stroking along her side with his armoured thumb. When their eyes finally met, it was almost hard to breathe.

“Are, uh.. are you okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah.. I’m fine,” she mumbled, her chest heaving a little more. “..thanks, Blue.”

_She hasn’t called me that in a while.._

Spirits, it had been so long since they’d been this close. Her scent was overwhelming, it was making his head feel fuzzy. So much so that, looking into those crystal blue eyes.. at those luscious lips.. his mind seemed to forget everything else. Including the fight they’d just walked into. They gazed at each other for long moments, both hesitantly and expectantly. That rosy tint flushing across her cheeks like a beacon of hope.

“ _Ahem_.”

The voice shook them out of it instantly, both snapping apart and glancing over at the turian now standing nearby wearing a shit-eating grin. It was only now Garrus realised that the gunfire had stopped, the rest of the team having apparently finished the job while they’d been.. _distracted_.

“We’re ready when you are,” Nihlus teased, smirking unapologetically.

Shepard looked up at Garrus, giving him a small smile before ducking out under his arm to join the rest of the ground team.

“You better wipe that grin off your face, Kryik,” she warned as she passed. “Before I do it for you.”

He just laughed as he watched her go, glancing back at Garrus with a satisfied smile.

“What?” Garrus asked, a little too defensive.

“I didn’t say anything,” Nihlus chirped innocently.

“You don’t have to,” he chided, coming to join him. “It’s written all over your face.”

A hearty chuckle rumbled in his friends chest, his subharmonics trilling with pure mischief.

“Then I won’t bother saying it,” Nihlus teased. “Although, if I might offer one bit of advice..”

"..what?”

His friend leaned in close, his words closer to a whisper so no one else would hear.

“Maybe wait until _after_ we find the beacon to indulge in ‘make up’ relations?” he teased. “We are sorta on a time sensitive mission right now..”

“Spirits,” he chided, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, will you?”

He shook his head tiresomely, giving Nihlus a gentle shove, only making his friend laugh more. Once they reached the rest of the group, it was as if nothing had happened, the others apparently having been too preoccupied to notice their lack of input.

_You got lucky this time. Get your head in the game, Vakarian._

“Nicely done, team,” he said, looking to each of them in turn. “Be on the lookout, there may be more up ahead.”

Everyone nodded in unison in reply to his command, following close behind as he ventured further up the hill. When they reached the top, the ground was littered with incapacitated drones, reduced to nothing more than heaps of scrap metal.

Before anyone could take a better look, another appeared in the distance and opened fire aimlessly in their direction. Now better prepared, the team reacted with haste and sought cover behind the nearby trees just as several more drones joined the fray. Whilst they weren’t particularly challenging, their erratic movements made it difficult to get a clear shot without the use of rapid fire.

“Yeah, take that you son of a bitch,” Caenia gloated as her target plummeted to the ground.

“Nice shot, babe,” Fabus purred, firing a shot of his own.

Eventually, there were only two drones left, shifting through the air even more frantically as they fired a stream of shots in quick succession.

“Oh for Pete's sake,” Shepard huffed tiresomely.

Suddenly, a purple glow surrounded both drones before they hurtled into one another at such speed that they exploded upon impact. The synthetic shrapnel fell down to the ground, crackling with sparks of electricity and wafts of thick smoke. Everyone turned to look at her, some in shock, whilst others were simply amused.

“What? We don’t have all day,” she chirped, shrugging a shoulder. “..shall we?”

With that, she continued on ahead with everyone following suit. Garrus quietly smiled to himself, though it swiftly faded when he spotted Kaidan trotting after her in an idolised daze.

“That was really impressive, Shepard,” the biotic gushed, now walking beside her. “How do you control your biotics like that?”

“Huh?” she mumbled. “Oh, uh.. just practice, I guess.”

“I wouldn’t say _control_ is the right word,” Caenia mumbled quietly.

Garrus shot her a warning look and she rolled her eyes in reply.

“Do you think you could teach me sometime?” Kaidan asked. “Maybe when we reach the Citadel, we could go to Armax Arena and try it out?”

Garrus' grip tightened on his rifle as a growl began to brew in his chest. Before he could do or say something he’d likely come to regret, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, Nihlus giving him a reassuring smile.

“Easy, Gar-bear,” he whispered.

“Sure, why not,” Shepard shrugged. “We could get the whole gang down there for some team building exercises. Get a little training and learn how we all operate on the field. Good thinking, Lieutenant.”

Nihlus gave his shoulder a quick pat, both quietly chuckling at Shepard’s subtle rejection.

“Oh.. yeah. Of course. Team building,” Kaidan mumbled sheepishly. “Sounds great, Shepard.”

Garrus felt an elbow nudge his side, drawing his attention elsewhere. Nihlus chirruped in amusement as he pointed at the other Lieutenant, not so subtly attempting to make a move on Caenia.

_Oh, this is gonna be good.._

“I gotta say, I am loving watching you at work,” Vega teased. “A true hermosa guerrera. Just like I thought you’d be.”

She glanced down at him strutting beside her with his chest puffed out, looking somewhat baffled and disgusted.

“What are you rambling on about now, human?” she chided.

“It means ‘beautiful warrior’,” he purred, admiring her from head to toe. “That’s you all over.”

“Watch it, human,” Fabus growled, protectively moving closer to his mate.

“Vega, I would strongly advise that you don’t piss off the turian mountain,” came Shepard’s voice. “I’d like you to actually make it out of here alive.”

“You should listen to the tiny human,” Fabus warned.

Vega chuckled light-heartedly, throwing his arms up in surrender as he backed off.

“Hey, I’m just playing, amigo,” he teased. “I don't mean any harm.”

“Well, _I_ do,” Fabus snapped, a snarl lingering in his throat. “Play with someone else.”

“Told ya,” Shepard quipped.

Garrus had to give it to the Lieutenant, he sure was brave. Barely batting an eyelid at Fabus' threatening demeanour, chuckling to himself when most would be shaking like a leaf. Hopefully, the message genuinely had been received and understood. Turians were fiercely protective of their mates, it was unlikely his friend would be so forgiving next time.

“Turian mountain,” Fabus mused, as if tasting the way the words sounded in his mouth. “I like that.”

“Thought you might,” Shepard chirped.

He laughed a little in response, making Garrus smile. She was beginning to chip away at Fabus' guarded exterior, slowly bringing him around. It was a welcome sight, one that showed promise. Though Caenia was going to take a little more convincing, giving her mate a light swat on the chest for dropping his guard.

They stopped once they reached the drone corpses, Garrus opening his Omni-Tool to scan the remains.

“EDI,” he said into his radio comm. “I’m forwarding on data taken from hostile drones of unknown origin. Let me know if you find anything.”

“Of course, Spectre Vakarian,” came her reply.

He eagerly waited for a response, only the sounds of twigs and leaves crunching beneath their feet filling the hushed anticipation as they set off once more.

“Uh.. Captain,” came Joker’s voice. “You’re not gonna believe this but, EDI scanned the data you sent and those drones are flagging up as.. geth.”

“Geth?” Garrus replied in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Certain, boss,” he replied. “I reviewed the data myself.”

“There is something else embedded within the geth code,” came EDI’s voice. “But I will need time before I can provide more information as to its nature.”

“Alright, well, just do what you can,” Garrus insisted. “I’ll forward on anything else we find in case it helps.”

“Copy that, Captain,” the pilot replied, preparing to sign off. “Be careful.”

“Noted.”

“What the hell would geth drones be doing in this system?” Shepard queried.

“Good question,” Nihlus answered. “Geth don’t usually travel beyond the Perseus Veil. Even I’m at a loss here..”

“So it was _geth_ that wiped out that unit?” Kaidan gasped.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Garrus sighed. “Let's keep moving, the dig site isn’t far. Be on the lookout for any sign of geth activity.”

They pressed forward until they reached a vast clearing, littered with broken and bloodied corpses. A loud commotion came from up ahead and everyone instantly ducked behind cover with their weapons at the ready. To their surprise, a female human soldier in white armour came sprinting into view, cautiously peering behind her at whatever she was fleeing from.

“Alright, team,” Garrus began. “Let’s-"

**Blam.**

The shot startled them all, too quick for anyone to stop it. Blood already seeped from the wound going through the soldier’s head, trickling down her face in thick, crimson rivulets. In an instant, she dropped to her knees, a stunned expression on her face even as she crumpled to the ground. There was nothing they could do.. she was gone.

Emerging from behind her, the synthetic forms of multiple geth troopers suddenly appeared. They approached the soldier’s limp form, one nudging her with its foot to check she was definitely dead. They all looked to one another, engaging in some sort of whirring, garbled discussion that only they could understand.

“Oh my god,” Kaidan gasped. “It.. it _is_ geth! What are they even doing here?”

“Dying,” Shepard snapped, readying her rifle. “That’s what.”

Seconds later, she fired off a shot that landed right on target, smashing through what had to be its face. Sparks crackled out of the synthetic's lifeless form as it dropped to the ground, gaining the attention of the remaining troopers. They sprang into action and the ground team reciprocated, hollering a stream of curses as they opened fire.

_I know I should be more concerned right now but, she looks damn good with that rifle._

“Nice shot,” he purred, taking aim himself.

“Thanks,” she replied. “Just watch and learn, Vakarian. You might learn a thing or two.”

His chest rumbled with a chuckle as he squeezed the trigger, taking out the trooper farthest away in one perfectly aimed hit.

“Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you,” he teased, smirking a little.

The remaining geth lay slain, the bodies of organics and synthetics alike now strewn across the space. When they reached the far end of the clearing, Shepard stopped to kneel beside the female soldier, closing her glassy, lifeless eyes.

“I think this is the soldier from the recording,” Shepard said sadly. “She fought and survived all that time, only to.. if we had just gotten here one minute sooner..”

Her sorrow swiftly shifted to rage, the turians amongst the group casting wary glances at each other as they all felt the powerful biotic static tingling in the air. Garrus stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“She was incredibly brave,” he said sincerely. “We'll make sure these bastards get what’s coming to them, Shepard. Her death won’t be in vain.”

She didn’t say anything, silently nodding in reply as she gazed mournfully at the fallen soldier.

“I thought the geth vanished beyond the Perseus Veil over 200 years ago,” Caenia cut in. “What are they doing here?”

“They’re here for the beacon,” Shepard said simply, getting to her feet. “And they sure as shit aren’t getting it.”

“Lola's right,” Vega growled. “We’re gonna find this stupid beacon, and then those synthetic assholes will pay for these soldiers deaths ten times over.” 

Just up ahead, Garrus could see the stone pillars peering over the hill. The dig site was close. The crew followed close behind as he set off, scanning the geth bodies as he passed and forwarding the results on to EDI. When they eventually reached the site, a collective defeated sigh resounded from the group at the severe lack of beacons present.

“Where did it go?” Kaidan asked. “It was supposed to be here, right?”

Fabus stood at the centre of the site, studying the ground and scraping his foot along the stone curiously.

“Look here,” he rumbled. “See the impact points? Scuff marks, too. The beacon was here, someone must have moved it.”

Everyone gathered around to join him, examining the evidence.

“But who?” Caenia mused. “Those Alliance soldiers? The geth?”

“Well, we won’t find the answers here,” Nihlus offered. “Whoever it was is gone, along with the beacon. We need to push forward, hopefully we’ll find something useful that’ll give us some insight.”

Why could a mission never just be straightforward? It was always the way.. just when you thought everything was going as planned, it turned out to be anything but. The change of circumstances seemed to set Nihlus on edge, stepping out of the back seat and into full Spectre mode.

He urged the crew to follow suit as he continued up the inclining ramp surrounding the site, leading them out on to an abandoned campsite set up on the ridge. It looked utterly decimated. Thick, black smoke plumed from still burning fires, most of the bunks and cabins set ablaze. Broken equipment and tents lay wrecked and in tatters. Whoever camped here, Garrus hoped at least some made it out.

“Looks like they hit this place hard,” Garrus said, taking in the damage.

“Yeah, it’s a good place for an ambush,” Nihlus said severely. “Keep your guard up.”

Lining the site were several giant, bizarre spikes, extending at least twenty feet high. At the top of each one, the mangled bodies of the campers still hung there, impaled through their stomach.

“This is.. horrible. It really is like Inferno,” Shepard said quietly. “Is it just me or do they look.. different?”

“They look-"

The words were cut off when the spikes screeched like a metallic scraping sound, all descending in unison. The crew watched in horror as the altered corpses seemed to reanimate, pulling themselves off the spikes and getting to their feet.

“Dios mio, they’re still alive!”

“What did the geth do to them?” Kaidan said fearfully.

One of the creatures let out a shrill shriek, heading for the crew with outstretched arms that didn’t feel like an invitation for a friendly hug.

“Whatever they are, they’re not human anymore,” Nihlus insisted. “Take them out.”

“But-" Vega pleaded.

Suddenly, one of the creatures went in for the attack, crying out with a piercing scream as it lunged for the Lieutenant. Despite his hesitance, he moved in a flash, aiming his shotgun directly at the monster before pulling the trigger.

“On second thought, maybe you’re right,” he quipped.

As the creature doubled over, a gaping hole through its chest, it curled in on itself before exploding with a powerful blast of electricity.

“Exploding robot zombies?” Shepard snapped. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Take them out,” Garrus ordered. “And don’t let them get too close.”

The rest of the group sprang into action at his command, picking off the creatures from a distance. Gradually, they fell one by one, electric blasts lighting up the camp. Shepard fired her pistol, in too small a space for a rifle to be efficient. The shot was clean, straight through the heart, but the damn thing barely flinched.

“Fuck this.”

She moved in a purple flash, so fast it was almost impossible to see. A moment later, she was stood behind her enemy, a barrier conjured around herself as she wiped the bloody grime from her Omni-Blade. Not even bothering to glance back, she patiently waited until she heard the sound of a head tumbling to the ground. A small, triumphant smile spread across her features, her barrier protecting her from the shock blast as she sheathed her blade.

“Very nice, Lola,” Vega purred. “Forgot how badass you are in a fight.”

“Not so bad yourself, Lieutenant,” she beamed.

The crew regrouped by the eerie looking corpses, studying the ominous looking modifications. Garrus scanned them each in turn, forwarding the data on.

“So.. the geth are turning humans into _these?_ ” Kaidan said in disgust. “What the hell for?”

“Nothing good, I imagine,” Garrus sighed.

“I fucking _hate_ zombies,” Shepard groaned, her entire body shuddering.

Everyone spread out to search the camp, looking for any clues as to the nature of these creatures or the whereabouts of the beacon. While the others had dispersed, Nihlus pulled Garrus to one side, glancing around to check they were alone.

“Gar-bear, something’s going on here,” he said cautiously. “I don’t know what but, I have a feeling this is the start of something much bigger. I’m gonna scout on ahead while you guys search the camp, I don’t want us sticking around any longer than necessary.”

“Is that really a good idea? Who knows how many more of those things are out there, Nih. Not to mention the geth.”

“I appreciate the concern, Gar-bear,” Nihlus chuckled. “But I’ve been doing this a long time. Honestly? I tend to work better on my own. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

Garrus ran his hand down the length of his fringe, huffing out a heavy breath. He knew his friend was more than capable of taking care of himself, he didn’t want to insult him by suggesting otherwise. After all, he wouldn’t be where he is now without Nihlus' guidance and training.

“Alright,” he said finally, still somewhat hesitant. “Just be careful. First sign of trouble, you call me. Understood?”

Nihlus placed a hand on his armoured shoulder, shaking it lightly as he gave him a warm smile.

“Loud and clear, my young apprentice,” he chirped.

Both nodded to one another in farewell, an uneasy feeling settling in Garrus' gut as he watched his friend sneak away before the others could notice. Now wasn’t the time to lose focus, he just had to keep himself busy. As he searched the far corner of the camp, the sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon grew ever closer, far more pleasant than the smells of death and destruction lingering in the air.

“Shepard,” he began, still focused on scraps of evidence on the ground. “You okay?”

“Smelled me coming, huh?” she teased.

“Always,” he chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, your scent is a very welcome change from everything else I can smell right now.”

“Oh.. well then, you’re welcome,” she tittered.

Despite her light tone, there was a hint of something else underneath. He got to his feet to meet her, studying her expression.

“Are you, though? Okay, I mean?”

“I dunno, Blue.. something feels.. off.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he sighed. “You find anything?”

“Uh.. yeah, turns out the scientists that were researching the beacon camped here,” she began. “A couple of survivors locked themselves inside that cabin..”

She gestured to the small building at the opposite side of the camp, one of the only cabins still intact.

“Alenko and Vega are in there with them now, trying to settle them down and see if they know anything useful,” she continued. “The guy seems to be experiencing some serious trauma, I doubt he’ll be able to give us much. The woman seems to have coped better, she may have some answers.”

“At this point, I’ll take what I can get,” he replied. “At least some of them survived.”

“Yeah.”

She sighed a little, glancing around at the devastation before looking back at Garrus quizzically.

“Where’s Nihlus?”

“He, uh.. went on ahead,” he admitted. “Wanted to cover more ground while we searched the camp.”

“And you just let him go?!”

“Shepard, Nihlus is a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“Just because he _can_ , doesn’t mean he _should_ ,” she huffed. “Screw this, I’m going after him..”

Rifle at the ready, she stormed off towards the camp’s exit. He hurried after her and grabbed onto her arm, encouraging her to stop. She turned on the spot, her severe expression fading when she saw his genuine concern.

“Shepard, please,” he pleaded. “It’s bad enough worrying about Nih. If _you_ go, I’m not gonna be able to think straight.”

“Garrus, I can’t explain it but, I just have this horrible feeling in my gut,” she urged. “What if _this_ is the reason why? Please.. you have to let me go.”

_Spirits, I don’t think I could ever let her go.._

Those big blue eyes locked with his, silently pleading for his acceptance. He wanted to reach out and touch her, tuck that stray lock of hair behind her ear like he used to do. As much as he wanted to protect her, always keep her safe.. like Nihlus, he had to respect her skills and abilities.

“Fine,” he huffed.

He stepped closer, so close she had to tilt her head back to meet his eye. He gave her a look that insisted he wasn't playing around, his shoulders going tense as he folded his arms across his chest.

“Here’s what’s gonna happen," he ordered. "You’re gonna go, confirm that Nih is fine, and then you’re gonna get your ass straight back here. If you run into trouble, you call me. If you suspect that you’re _about_ to run into trouble, you call me. If you don’t, I’m gonna hurl Buttercup out of the damn airlock the second we get back on the ship.”

A small smirk spread across those distracting lips, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I love it when you talk dirty,” she teased.

_Spirits, give me strength.._

“Careful, Shepard,” he rumbled, drawn in by her playful tone. “Now, go before I change my mind.”

“Got it,” she chirped, nodding in confirmation. "Thanks, Blue."

With that, she took off like a bullet, disappearing over the ridge. Spirits, he felt sick. Why the hell did he let her go?

_Stubborn human, why can’t I ever say no to her?_

Caenia and Fabus came to join him, having noticed Shepard fleeing from the scene.

“Where the hell is she going?” Caenia snapped.

“To check on Nihlus.”

He paused for a moment, staring after Shepard even though she was long gone.

“Go after her, would you?” he asked reluctantly. “We don’t need all of us here. If her and Nihlus run into trouble, they could do with some back up.”

“What about you?” Caenia huffed.

“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “I don’t think they’ll be coming back here again.”

“I don’t like it, Captain.”

“We’ll do it,” Fabus cut in. 

“Thank you,” Garrus said sincerely. “Be careful, both of you.”

Caenia growled at her mate, conceding when she saw the resolve in his eyes. They both nodded to one another, casting Garrus one final glance in farewell before sprinting off side by side.

Once they disappeared from view, he regrouped with Alenko and Vega inside the cabin to establish what they’d discovered in their talks with the survivors. He greeted the human scientists, speaking calmly and softly as he reflected on what Shepard had said. As Alenko began to bring him up to speed, the crackle of the comm hissed in his ear.

“ ** _NO!_** ” came Shepard’s desperate cry.

Vega and Alenko heard it too, both their expressions immediately shifting to concern.

**Blam!**

The sound of the gunshot echoed through the sky, resonating like a thunderclap in the otherwise quiet surroundings. No order needed to be given, the three of them instantly rushing out of the cabin and running in the direction the shot came from. His legs carried him faster than they ever had before, so consumed with worry and dread that his body was surging with adrenaline. Who fired that gun? Were the others okay? Damn it, he specifically told her to call him if she thought they were in danger. 

_Spirits, **please** be okay.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologise to the Ashley fans. I'll be honest, I don't care for her character and in my playthroughs, she never lives past Virmire. I didn't want to include her in my fanfic as a fully fledged character so, I thought I'd give her a very fleeting tribute instead. Very mean of me, I know.
> 
> Part two of the Eden Prime mission will be coming soon.. brace yourselves.


	16. The Mad Spectre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Welcome back for Eden Prime part two. Been super pumped to write this one so, I hope you enjoy it!

The gravel crunched beneath Shepard's sprinting footsteps as she darted up the hill, hastily skidding to a halt when she reached the top of the verge and spotted the spaceport lying just beyond. She shot back behind the wall to shield herself from view, trying to steady her quickened breaths before carefully peering around the edge to get a better look. Deep inside the quarry, Nihlus stood on the port’s platform, engaged in discussion with another armoured turian. They were too far away for her to make anything out. In fact, if it weren’t for the distinctive bright red lights on his armour, she wouldn’t even be certain it was Nihlus from this distance.

 _At least he’s safe,_ she thought to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. _Who the hell is he talking to?_

Taking care not to be seen, she raised her rifle and looked through the scope. The turian talking to Nihlus had striking, chalky white plates and wore no clan markings. She vaguely recalled Grizz explaining the meaning behind that, though she couldn’t remember what it was. She made a mental note to ask about it once the mission was done with.

_I swear this guy looks familiar.._

She scanned him closely through the scope, feeling increasingly certain that she knew him from somewhere. Had she met him before? A random encounter somewhere.. Omega, maybe? No, that wasn’t it. Still, whoever he was, Nihlus looked almost relieved to see him. It helped her to relax a bit, though that niggling feeling was still doing somersaults in her gut. She idly wondered if it was just the confusing atmosphere with Garrus today that had set it off, and she was simply projecting it elsewhere instead. Regardless, she figured she should probably reassure him that all was well, the quiet hiss filling her ear as she activated her radio comm.

_Wait, what the fuck?!_

Before she could give the all-clear, she watched the unknown turian raise his pistol and aim it directly at Nihlus' head while his back was turned.

“ ** _NO!_** _”_

Her hollering cry caught their attention and she sprang into action, seizing the opportunity whilst she had the turian distracted.

_Come on, Midnight, don’t fail me now.._

**Blam!**

Midnight’s shot called out like a mighty lions roar, with the treacherous turian’s head directly in its crosshairs. But it barely even scratched him, the familiar purple shimmer of a biotic barrier deflecting the bullet.

_God damn it._

At least she’d bought Nihlus some time, watching him turn hot on his heels and realise what the other turian was up to. He immediately leapt over a stack of crates for cover, dipping out of her line of sight.

“What the hell is going on, human?” came a rumbling, krogan-like voice, startling her a little. “We heard a gunshot.”

Lurking just behind her, Fabus and Caenia stood waiting expectantly for an answer. She didn’t bother questioning why _they_ all of people had come to her aid, just grateful to have some backup. She had a feeling they were going to need it.

“I’m not entirely sure,” she said hurriedly, shaking her head. “Nihlus was just talking with that turian down in the port and then the guy went to shoot him. But we’re dealing with a very strong biotic, even my rifle couldn’t break through his barrier. We need to get down there and cover Kryik.”

They followed her line of sight into the spaceport, their eyes going wide in shock.

“Is that.. Saren Arterius?” Caenia gasped.

The moment the name left her lips, the realisation whacked Shepard like a punch in the face. _That’s_ why she recognised him. Saren Arterius; one of the most infamous Spectres in the Milky Way. What the hell was he even doing here? Was he involved in all this somehow?

“I _knew_ I recognised him from somewhere,” Shepard snapped. “Saren was Nihlus' mentor, how the fuck could he betray him like this?!”

“Good question,” Fabus snarled, clenching his gun tight. “Why don’t we go ask him?”

His hulking form stomped past her, his ice-cold expression suggesting he had no intention of asking Saren politely. Just as he began to press onward, a harmony of familiar, metallic screeches resounded throughout the port, and Shepard leapt in from of him, urging him to stop.

“ **Wait** ,” she insisted.

Sharp teeth glinted in the light as he glared down at her, snarling fiercely. There was no denying that this guy was intimidating as hell but, she couldn’t let him see that. She squared her shoulders and stood firm, gesturing to the various spikes with impaled, mutated creatures all beginning their descent towards the ground. As he took in the situation, a look of understanding flashed in his steel grey eyes.

“Shit, we’ve got geth incoming,” Caenia warned, pointing further down the port.

At first glance, maybe ten.. possibly more. Now she really _was_ grateful for the backup, they were becoming increasingly outnumbered. They needed to act. Fast.

“Okay,” Shepard began, mustering her resolve. “I need to get in there to help Kryik. I can take care of the hostiles in that area but, I need you two to flank the remaining targets from the other side and stop them from reaching the platform. Can you do that?”

“And why should we trust _you_ to protect Nihlus, human?” Caenia snarled. “Fabus is the strongest, _he_ should do it.”

“It’s gonna take more than brute strength to get through that barrier,” she insisted. “If I can just get close enough, I might be able to take it down. But it’s gonna be a damn sight easier if you guys can level the playing field for me.”

A moment of silence hung in the air.

“Fine,” Caenia conceded, a subtle growl lacing her words. “But if anything happens to Nihlus, it’s on you.”

Shepard shook her head in frustration, knowing that was probably the best she was ever going to get. Apparently the fact she _literally_ just saved his ass counts for nothing.

_Figures._

“Fair enough,” she said tiresomely, opening her Omni-Tool. “Let’s move out. Keep to cover, and don’t let those things get near you when they go down unless you wanna become barbecue.”

Expecting further protests to fly her way, she cloaked herself before they could reply and snuck off in Nihlus’ direction. Luckily, the couple seemed to at least heed her orders, staying hidden within the shadows as they headed deeper into the port. Before long, the area was singing with a cacophony of gunfire from both friend and foe alike.

With a jolting, forceful heave, Shepard ripped her Omni-Blade from the final enemy in her path, sparks crackling out of the trooper’s body as it lay dead at her feet. The heated argument between Nihlus and his mentor grew closer on the platform above and she threw herself against the wall, keeping to the shadows as she prepared to launch up and join the fight.

“How could you do this?” came Nihlus’ angered voice. “Do you have _any_ idea what the Council will do when they find out?”

“Oh, my dear boy,” Saren replied, a malevolent teasing in his tone. “If you are under the illusion you’ll live long enough to tell those arrogant fools, I’m afraid you are gravely mistaken.”

She heard another blast of bullets, accompanied by Saren’s sinister laughter. Just as Shepard readied herself to leap into action, a broad form shrouded her in darkness, carving out the gloomy sky as he threw himself off of the platform. He landed on the ground nearby with cat-like, agile grace, instantly getting to his feet just as smoothly.

“Holy-”

An armoured hand covered her mouth before she could finish, his free hand raising a finger to his lips in silent plea for discretion. His eyes looked like emerald flames as the light caught them, glowing fierce and severe. She nodded in compliance and his hand fell away, crouching down low and gesturing for her to follow. He led her around the outskirts of the port, stopping behind a battered container.

“What the fuck is going on, Kryik?” she whispered.

“Spirits, I don’t-”

The sound of Saren’s voice drew their attention away, the mad Spectre scouting the port from above as he flew around on a hovercraft device.

_Man, I gotta get me one of those.._

“Come along now, Nihlus,” the dual-toned voice urged, echoing across the area. “Don’t hide from me, I taught you better than that. Come out and fight like a man.”

They kept their eyes fixed above, watching for any sign of him. But as Shepard peeked beyond the containers edge, she could see Saren slowly making his way to the opposite end of the spaceport, scanning the area like a hawk hungrily seeking its prey. When he spotted Fabus and Caenia fighting the remaining geth just below, he barely even cast them a second glance before continuing his search. For whatever reason, it seemed Nihlus was his only priority. For now, at least.

“Something’s wrong with him, Shepard,” Nihlus said quietly, panic and sorrow in his voice. “This isn’t the Saren I know. He’s.. he’s _changed_ somehow..”

“What’s he even doing here? Is he behind all of this?”

Unable to bring himself to say the words out loud, to admit that the man he’d looked up to for so long had caused such unnecessary devastation, he just hung his head solemnly with a subtle nod.

“Spirits,” he whimpered, clenching his fists tight. “I don't know what to do here, Shepard. He just kept talking about a plan. How everything he's doing is ‘necessary’ for the future of organics. What does that even mean?! Nothing he was saying made any sense.”

She placed a gentle hand on his armoured shoulder, hoping it was comforting.

“Nihlus, I know this is hard for you,” she said softly. “But if he’s responsible for what happened here, then we _have_ to take him down. At the very least, we need to immobilise him enough that we can find out _exactly_ what this supposed plan is..”

The expression on his face made her heart sink, knowing exactly how he was feeling all too well. Emerald green eyes bore into her own, wrought with confusion and hurt.

“I know we do,” he said solemnly. “I know. I just-"

A piercing shriek came from nearby, startling them both. They span around to face the eerie creature that had already snuck in far too close, both too distracted to notice it creeping around the container towards them.

“Oh shit!” she yelled, fumbling for her weapon.

**Blam.**

The unmistakable sound of a rifle boomed through the skies, piercing clean through the side of the creature’s skull. It was a perfect hit, instant kill. Which meant they were now _way_ too fucking close. Little bolts of electricity began to crackle around the dying form and Shepard acted on instinct, conjuring a barrier around her and Nihlus just in time to deflect the brunt of the blast.

“By the spirits, that was far too close for my liking,” Nihlus breathed, bracing himself against the cold metal of the container. “Thanks, Shepard. That’s twice you’ve saved my life today.”

“Just like old times, huh?” she teased, letting the barrier dissipate. “Although I can’t really take the credit for this one..”

She scanned the hillsides in the direction the shot came from, looking for any sign of their stealthy saviour as she activated her radio comm.

“You got some damn good timing there, Vakarian,” she boasted, knowing he could hear. “Hell of a shot.”

“Timing would've been even better if you’d have called me like I asked, Shepard,” came Garrus' scolding voice in her ear. “For future reference; screams and gunshots _don’t_ count.”

_Shit, I completely forgot about that._

“We’ve been a little busy, Garrus!” Nihlus chided. “Where are the others?”

“Helping Fabus and Caenia,” he answered. “Spirits, is that.. _Saren?_ What’s he doing here, did the Council send him?”

“He’s working with the geth,” Nihlus growled, his subvocals keening quietly at his mentor’s betrayal.

“He.. what?! Will someone please tell me what on Palaven is going on?!”

Shepard heard the sound of synthetic whirring just around the corner and peered past the container, spotting the geth trooper that was swiftly closing in. She quickly whipped out her pistol and fired, the shot shattering through the trooper’s flashlight upon impact. As she watched the body crumple to the ground, her eyes fell on the mad turian lurking in the distance just beyond, now practically staring right through her. 

“Fuck,” she snapped, ducking behind cover. “We can debrief later. Kryik, we’ve gotta move! Go, go, go!”

He didn’t question it, following her command the moment it was spoken. They fled with haste and threw themselves behind a nearby wall, backs pressed against the chilled stone as they tried to calm their panting breaths. But it was too late, they could already hear the mechanical pulsing growing closer. Too close for them to make a break for it without being caught out in the open. A shadow swept past as the hovercraft flew overhead, turning about and coming to an abrupt stop. They craned their necks back to meet Saren’s eye, the sight of his triumphant, menacing smile leaving an uneasy feeling all over.

“There you are,” he said sadistically. “Really, Nihlus, did you honestly believe you could hide from me?”

Everything about this guy felt.. off. There was a certain aura to his presence, one that reeked of darkness and corruption. Nihlus was right, something was seriously wrong here.

“Shepard, get out of here,” Nihlus insisted, unable to tear his eyes away from his former mentor. “Go, I’ve got this.”

“Like hell,” she snapped. “I’m not leaving you alone with _that_ nutbar.”

Saren pinned her with an intense, sinister gaze in response, as if he was just seeing her for the first time. She did her best to hide the eerie shiver it sent through her, like ice running through her veins.

“Well, if it isn’t the little human prodigy,” Saren spat. “You’ve been gone a long time, Shepard. Most believed you to be dead.”

_Wait.. how the hell does he know who I am?_

“Uhhh.. nope. Still kicking,” she quipped, trying to appear unphased. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Pity,” he sulked, sighing dramatically. “No matter, I shall fix that here and now.”

Before she could even fully register what he’d said, she suddenly found herself staring down the wrong end of his gun, his finger just tickling the trigger.

“Hey, have some of this, asshole,” came Vega’s fierce voice.

The boom of his shotgun came from nearby, drawing Saren's attention away. The barrier was still too damn resilient for the shot to do any damage but, it was enough to knock him off balance. He doubled over as he struggled to right himself, unconsciously releasing his grip on his weapon. As he watched it plummet to the ground below, he erupted with a fierce roar, only to be once again interrupted by another stream of bullets as the rest of the team began to join the fight.

The cover fire bought them time, enough for them to at least escape from their vulnerable position. The Spectre flitted through the air erratically, the bullets aimed his way melting against his barrier like candy floss submerged in water. No matter the weapon, the ammo.. nothing seemed to work. Even when Kaidan hurled a powerful, crackling Warp directly at him, Saren treated his attack as nothing more than a mere annoyance, leaving the Lieutenant slack-jawed and dumbfounded as he muttered curses of disbelief through the comm. At best, all the attack had done was blind him for a few valuable seconds, enough to allow the team to shift their positions to try and catch him off guard.

But as his vision once more began to settle, a bitter snarl snapped out of him as he fired a biotic blast right at the Lieutenant in retaliation. The attack was so overwhelming that it wiped Alenko _and_ Vega clean off their feet, sending them flying through the air before they crashed to the ground in unison, wincing and gasping from having the wind completely knocked out of them.

“Ignorant pests,” Saren growled. “Stay down if you know what’s good for you.”

Shepard peered beyond the crate she was crouched behind, watching as the Lieutenants tried to gather their bearings at the far side of the port, wearily getting to their feet.

“Vega, Alenko,” she said hurriedly. “You guys alright?”

“We’re good, Lola,” came Vega's groaning voice in her ear, hissing from a sudden jolt of pain. “He’s one tough son of a bitch, alright.”

“We need a change of plan,” Alenko winced. “None of us can even get a hit on this guy..”

“Speak for yourself, human,” came Fabus' booming voice.

He marched towards Saren with purposeful strides, switching out his thermal clip before aiming directly at his target.

“I don’t care who you are,” Fabus snarled. “Spectre or not, you’ll pay for turning on your own kind.”

Even with the disadvantage of being on lower ground, everything about Fabus was imposing. He was the epitome of brute force, truly a krogan in turian form. With his gun aimed true, his finger began to squeeze the trigger.

Then they heard Saren.. laughing. Properly laughing. The self-assured dominance of Fabus' demeanour began to slip, just as confused as the rest of them.

_This guy is completely nuts.. that makes him even more dangerous._

The Spectre’s cackling suddenly came to an abrupt stop, his expression darkening intensely. A wave of biotic energy suddenly soared towards Fabus and swatted him away as if he were no more than a pesky fly, slamming to the ground with a heavy thud. Caenia shrieked with a concerned cry and rushed to his side, lovingly tending to him as he lay there, splayed out on his front in a disoriented state.

“Or not,” Fabus groaned through the comm, breathless and winded.

“My own kind?” Saren sneered, scoffing indignantly. “Do not be so naive as to consider yourself my equal. I am something.. _more_. I am what would we should have _always_ been.”

“ **Enough,** ” Nihlus yelled, cutting through the atmosphere.

All eyes turned to look his way, watching as he held his gun with a shaky grip, cautiously aimed at his former mentor.

“What happened to you?” he asked, his voice almost pleading. “The Saren I know would _never_ do something like this. So many dead.. or turned into those.. those _creatures._ And for what.. the _beacon?_ **Nothing** could be worth so much death!”

Saren slowly drifted closer to his former apprentice, completely unmoved by his raw, grief-stricken words.

“Do not concern yourself with the beacon, you could not possibly begin to fathom its power,” he snapped, waving a hand dismissively. “You had your chance to join me, Nihlus. To become part of something better..”

The mad turian began to preach his gospel like some born-again messiah, and it gave Shepard the window she’d been hoping for. If only she could just get close enough to touch him, she could take that barrier down. But, he was turian.. even if she cloaked herself, it’s likely he’d smell her coming before she could even get that far. This was her only chance, and she damn sure wasn’t going to risk blowing it. No, she’d have to go on the offensive for this.

Everything went dark as she closed her eyes, willing herself to focus. It only took seconds for her to feel it. The familiar rush. The invigorating warmth of her powers awakening. Like the delectable burn that washes through you as you savour the taste of a fine whiskey. God damn, she may never understand it but, boy did she love it.

_Focus._

All she had to do was envision in her mind, and weave it into reality. She could feel the pulsing energy coursing through her like electrified streams, all channelling to a single focal point and merging together as they flowed down her arm towards her hand.

“You could never understand,” Saren continued. “I am part of something-"

He stopped in his tracks, sensing the shift in the atmosphere as he sniffed the air around him. The Bio-Lock buried in her neck seemed to keep her biotic signature hidden from turians until she actively used her powers, so as far as Saren knew, Kaidan was the only biotic amongst them. An angered growl erupted from his chest as his gaze snapped over to her team mate, assuming he was preparing to attempt another attack.

“Do **not** test me, human,” he growled venomously. “You _dare_ strike me again?”

Too preoccupied with scolding the bewildered Lieutenant, the Spectre didn’t seem to notice the rest of the team watching Shepard in awe while his back was turned. A blindingly bright spear of energy tingled in her grasp, just as she’d imagined it. She felt like Zeus himself, wielding a bolt of energised lightning.

 _Let’s see how you like this, asshole.._

“Apparently I failed to make myself clear,” Saren spat, his biotics emerging around his fist. “A mistake I shan't be making again, and this time, you won’t find me so-“

“Hey, Green Goblin,” she called out, a devious smirk upon her lips as he span to face her. “You talk too much.”

His eyes shot open wide at the sight of the pulsing spear now tearing through the sky in his direction, too fast for him to out-manoeuvre it. 

_Come on.. come on.._

Everyone held a collective breath as they watched the intense moment unfold. And when the spear finally made contact, stuck within the barrier’s powerful grasp, it seemed even that hadn’t been enough.

..until they heard an unmistakable hiss of pain.

Despite the purple aura still shimmering around him, the spear had pierced through just enough. The sharp point sizzled against the plate above his brow, the electrified dark energy gradually melting through the layers until cerulean blood seeped from the wound. The sudden sounds of her gobsmacked team mates muttering in her ear broke her focus, and the spear evaporated into tiny flecks of biotic dust, slowly flittering down to the ground.

_Damn it.._

With the pain subsided, Saren touched a hand to his face curiously and observed the viscous fluid now coating his armoured fingers. Pale eyes snapped up to meet her own, burning with a vicious rage.

“ **Filthy wretch,** ” he snarled. “You will pay for that, Shepard. Mark my words.”

_If I can just get in one more hit like that, we may have a shot.._

“Oh yeah?” she snapped, goading him on. “Then why don’t you get your ass down here and prove it!”

She bristled all over, matching his fury. Daring him to fight. The fierce glint in his eye suggested he was considering rising to her challenge. But his expression changed as he raised a hand to his ear, quietly replying to whoever was on the other end of his radio comm. He snarled in annoyance, staring right through her with his eyes narrowed.

“A battle for another time, it seems,” he sneered. “There are more pressing matters that require my attention than your trivial meddling. Pray we do not meet again, Shepard. I would relish the opportunity to end your pitiful existence.”

He turned to face Nihlus, a glimpse of his true self bleeding through as he softened ever so slightly. Though it was only for a fleeting moment, gone just as quickly as it came.

“I shall only warn you once, Nihlus; do not follow me. If you do, you will find the consequences to be quite.. _explosive._ Consider this a final act of mercy, for old times sake. I suggest you take it.”

With that, his hovercraft took off towards the opposite end of the spaceport, his recharged barrier deflecting the bullets the group harmoniously fired his way.

“Don’t do this, Saren,” Nihlus yelled after him. “If you don’t stop, you’ll leave me no choice but to kill you! I won’t let you do this!”

His words were laced with all the pain and confusion he felt, though it fell upon deaf ears.

“The fierce Spectre, running away like a scared little fledging,” came Fabus' ferocious, bellowing voice, standing tall on his feet once more. “You’re a disgrace to the name of turian, Arterius! Nothing more than a coward.”

The hovercraft stopped at that, Saren's entire body going rigidly tense. He turned to face the furious bulk of turian and travelled just a little closer, moving eerily slow.

“ _Coward?_ ” he spat. “ **Coward?!** I am the _only_ one prepared to do what’s necessary. _None_ of you could bear such a burden in my stead. I am far braver than any of you mindless fools could ever hope to be. In time, the galaxy will see that, and they will thank me for it.”

**Blam.**

He’d moved so fast. Too fast. No one had even registered what was happening until Fabus was already falling to the ground, his huge hands clutching at his stomach as blue blood trickled between his armoured fingers.

“Except you,” Saren finished, pistol still raised. “You will die here in the dirt. Irrelevant and forgotten.”

The group hastily flocked to their wounded comrade, Saren’s menacing laughter fading into the distance as he used the distraction to make his escape. Nihlus' roar echoed through the skies, continuing to fire after the Spectre even after he was long gone.

“I’m here, baby,” Caenia whimpered hurriedly, taking in the damage as she crouched beside him. “You’ll be okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

Fabus' body jerked and twitched erratically as he lay on the cold, hard ground, already wracked with pain. Not knowing how to soothe him, Caenia's hands restlessly hovered just above, wanting to touch him but scared of causing him further distress.

“Someone help him!” she snapped fiercely, looking to the others amongst the group.

“F-fuck, i-it burns,” he growled through clenched teeth, desperately clinging to the wound.

“Polonium round,” Garrus offered, speaking just as fast. “We’ve gotta get it out before the poison spreads.”

“Well, what the fuck are we waiting for?!” she snarled.

“That won’t be enough,” Vega cut in, stumbling closer. “It’ll be in his system by now, only way to help him is to flush it out. We need a medic, and soon.”

Keening whimpers flowed from Caenia as she tried to tenderly assure her mate, feeling helpless as he thrashed beside her in his torment.

“What about Medi-Gel?” Kaidan offered, fumbling in his panicked state. “Won’t that work?”

Vega shook his head regretfully, his voice and every other's dulled to a distant murmur as Shepard's mind tried to process what was happening. Medi-Gel couldn’t help them here. Whilst it would relieve the pain and help to heal the wound, it wouldn’t even touch the poison. Polonium rounds were nasty. Brutal, even. It’s one of the reasons they were so damn expensive. Take a direct hit with one of those, and you’d need to act pretty damn quick if you wanted to live to tell the tale, and that’s if you’re lucky. The only way to help Fabus now was to cleanse the toxins from his blood. The blood he was very rapidly losing. There wasn’t a single person here equipped with the knowledge or tools to do so.. but Mordin and Chakwas were. Which meant there was only one thing she could do. One option to keep him alive long enough to reach the ones who could save him. She just hoped Caenia would let her live long enough to get that far.

 _Suck it up, Shepard,_ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath. _If you don’t do this, he’ll die._

“Let me through,” she urged, almost shouting.

She encouraged Garrus to shuffle back with a gentle shove as she passed, kneeling in close by Fabus' shoulder.

“Alright, big fella,” she said boldly. “Look at me..”

In his weakened state, he wearily turned his head to meet her eye, his previously stoic, steel gaze already slipping away.

“That’s it,” she soothed, speaking softly. “I’m gonna help you, alright? But I need you to stay as calm as possible, this won’t work if you fight against me.”

With their eyes locked intensely, she blocked everything out but him. Focusing only his being. Her aura began to spread, reaching for him like glowing tendrils, gently delving into his mind. She could already feel his pain, his fear. Understandably, he was reluctant to let her in. His mind closed off like a locked door she couldn’t break through.

“Please, Fabus,” she whispered, so softly only he would hear. “Let me in. Let me help you.”

Either her words had struck home or he was growing too weak to fight, the door to his subconscious opening willingly for her. She could feel him, and he could feel her just the same. Now he could sense her true intentions, understood that she really was just trying to help, she felt him instantly calm. With that, she shrouded him in the bright glow of her biotic energy, the aura gradually cocooning him completely as the stasis consumed him.

“See you on the other side, big fella,” she whispered, watching his eyes close peacefully.

It was only when Shepard heard Garrus' blood curdling roar that she snapped out of her trance. Both he and Nihlus were holding back a wild, ferocious Caenia. Pure bloodlust in her eyes with her talons outstretched, wanting to take down what she perceived to be the threat to her wounded mate.

“Caenia, you _have_ to calm down,” Garrus ordered, trying to get through. “She’s trying to help!”

“ **Get the _fuck_ off me!**”

She fought with a vengeance, her two friends barely able to keep her at bay as her primal instincts kicked in. Shepard had to try to get through, try to make her understand. She just needed to get close enough..

“Caenia, listen to me,” she began, speaking softly. “I know you’re angry. I know you’re scared..”

She carefully got to her feet, ignoring Garrus and Nihlus' warnings as she took easy, steady steps closer.

“Fabus is your bondmate.. you can feel each other’s emotions, share the same thoughts. That kind of connection goes far deeper than love,” she continued, raising her arms to show her surrender.

“ **You know _nothing_ , human! Now get the fuck away from him!**”

Shepard paused a moment, sighing mournfully.

“I’ve been where you are, Caenia. I’ve felt the pain of losing the one you cherish more than any other.”

Bright blue eyes and golden hair flashed through her mind. She fought back her tears, remembering his final breath as he lay broken and bloodied in her arms. Biting down the rage as she thought of the one who took him from her.

“I would never wish that upon anyone,” she said solemnly. “And I'd certainly do everything in my power to prevent it if I could.”

Another step closer, the enraged turian still fighting against her restraints.

“I would never do anything to harm your mate, Caenia,” she promised. “I know we don’t exactly see eye to eye, but you’re both part of my crew, and my crew is like my family. Even if it’s just this once, I’m begging you to trust me.. I just wanna help him.”

She stepped dangerously close with an outstretched hand, Caenia glaring at it with bared, snarling teeth.

“I’m gonna touch you,” she said softly. “Is that okay?”

“ **Shepard,** ” Garrus growled, his subvocals flanging almost as wildly.

“Shepard, do you really think that’s a good idea?” Nihlus said hesitantly. “Given.. you know.. the _potential consequences_..”

His emerald eyes flashed over to Garrus, so quick that only she would see. His way of saying 'if she hurts you, he _will_ retaliate’. Shepard looked up at Garrus, trying to give her best reassuring smile. Touched by his concern.

“I need her to understand,” she explained. “Don’t worry, alright? I’ve got this.”

_Here goes nothing.._

Before any more protests could be heard, she gently placed a hand on top of Caenia's, hoping she would feel the part of Fabus' mind that was linked with her own. Everyone seemed to hold their breath at the intense moment, weapons at the ready in case Caenia should strike. After a while, a wave of calm seemed to wash over her, her eyes blinking rapidly as if waking from a nightmare.

“You feel that?” Shepard soothed, looking into her vivid amethyst eyes, no longer wild and fierce. “You can feel him, right?”

“Uh.. y-yes,” she trembled, nodding hastily. “It's hard to explain but, I.. I can feel him.”

She looked over to her mate as he lay shrouded in a bright, lavender cocoon, keening with sorrow and longing.

“Please, just let me go to him..”

Both Garrus and Nihlus trilled in apprehension as they glanced at one another. But, she was no longer fighting against them, simply standing there as they held her steady. Now that she posed no immediate threat, they released their grip and she rushed to her lover’s side in a flash. The rest seemed to release a collective breath, no one really knowing what to say. Shepard could feel bristling tension flowing from Garrus in waves, reluctant to meet her eye even as he saw her approach.

“You okay there, Big Guy?” she asked tentatively.

“I’m, uh.. I’m gonna radio Cortez,” he replied, sounding distant. “The sooner Fabus gets back to the Normandy, the better his chances are.”

“Uh, yeah.. okay,” she mumbled. “Good idea.”

His crystal blue eyes met her own, looking as if he wanted to say something else. Good or bad, she couldn’t say. But as he glanced around at the prying ears all lingering close by, he obviously decided against it, shaking his head in defeat before taking his leave. Shepard felt even more confused, trying to ignore the sudden cold shift in his demeanour as he walked away. Instead, she approached Fabus' slumberous form and knelt opposite his mate, patiently waiting for her to finish her hushed whispers to her beloved.

“Wh-what have you done to him?” Caenia mumbled, sniffling quietly. “Is he.. in pain?”

“I’ve put him into a sort of.. mega stasis,” she explained. “Like being frozen in a cryo chamber. He can’t feel anything, I promise.”

Tentative fingers drifted towards the purple aura, desperate to reach out and touch him.

“Can.. can I, uh..?”

“Of course,” Shepard assured her. “It won’t hurt you.”

The instant Caenia touched Fabus' cheek, her grief caught up with her in floods. The tears fell in streams and dripped onto her armoured thighs as she lovingly soothed her mate.

“Hold on, baby,” she begged, her voice trembling. “You have to hold on.. I don’t know what I'd do without you.”

Tear-filled eyes looked up to meet her own, the woman looking more vulnerable than Shepard had ever seen.

“Wh-what do we do now?”

“You’re all heading back to the Normandy,” Nihlus answered, walking towards them. “I’ll take care of Saren and the beacon.”

“You can’t go on your own, man!” Vega yelled. “It’s suicide!”

The thud of heavy, armoured footsteps against stone grew near as Garrus re-joined the group, practically radiating with rejuvenated cold confidence and determination.

“He won’t be.. I’m going with him.”

“No, Garrus-"

“I’m not asking, Nih,” Garrus said severely, shaking his head. “I’m a Spectre as much as you are, and this was my mission in the first place. It’s my responsibility to see it through. Besides, Vega’s right, you go on your own and you’ll be dead before you even reach the beacon.”

His gaze danced across the rest of the crew, giving Shepard the most fleeting look of all.

_What’s going on with him? It’s like he’s pissed at me.._

“Cortez is on his way,” he continued. “He’ll collect the rest of you and take you back to the Normandy. The Professor and Dr Chakwas have been notified of the situation, they’ll be ready to treat Fabus as soon as you’re on board.”

Caenia needed to stay with her mate, that was a no brainer. Even Vega and Alenko she could understand, both still recovering from the attack. The biotic still tentatively held his side from his fall, trying to hide the pained winces when he moved too suddenly. Vega had a slight limp in his step, biting down hard as he tried to power through it. But why on Earth did he want _her_ to leave? God damn it, they didn’t have time for this shit.

“Well, I’m going with you,” she insisted, making it abundantly clear that it wasn’t a request.

“No, you’re not,” Garrus countered. “You’re the XO, Shepard. I need you with the crew in case things go south.”

She got to her feet and marched towards him, trying to keep it together in front of the others. Something had got a bee in his bonnet, and now he was trying to send her away because of it? No fucking way.

“Bullshit,” she snapped. “I’m not just your XO, Garrus, I’m your partner. It’s my job to keep you safe. You saw what happened back there, we were barely even able to get close to Saren. His biotics are too god damn strong and you know it. You need to fight fire with fire.. you need _me_.”

They both stared each other down, neither willing to falter.

“She’s got a point, Gar-bear,” Nihlus said finally.

Garrus glared at his friend with narrowed eyes, his chest puffing out in his frustration.

“And what about Fabus?” Garrus argued. “How are you supposed to help him if you come with us?”

“Our minds are linked now, it doesn’t matter where I am,” she shrugged.

“Uh.. I don’t wanna doubt you, Shepard, but.. Fabus is a big guy,” Kaidan mumbled warily. “Even if you come with us, are you gonna be able to hold him until we get back? I haven’t even mastered a stasis yet and I’m an L2. The fact you’ve kept it up for this long is a feat in of itself.”

Admittedly, not a concern entirely without warrant. Keeping someone in stasis, and to this degree, it burned up a fuck tonne of energy. Through all of the fighting today, she’d already used a lot. The sure-fire way to access more would be to increase the limit of her Bio-Lock. Tap into more power. But that was an absolute last resort, for more reasons than one. The only other option was to reclaim what she’d spent. Recharge the battery, as it were. Luckily, she had the perfect resource standing just a few feet away.

“I’ll manage, Alenko,” she assured him. “But I’m gonna need your help..”

His eyes widened in surprise, straightening himself up a little.

“Uh.. yeah. Of course, Shepard,” he blushed. “What do you need?”

She moved in close, sinking into her hip as she stood before him.

“I need you to use your biotics.”

“You.. what?”

He watched curiously as she set about removing her gloves, carelessly casting them onto the ground beside her.

“Just trust me,” she insisted. “It doesn’t matter what it is, it can be anything.. a Warp, a Singularity, a barrier. Just build it up like you usually would.. then hold it there. That’s all you’ve gotta do.”

The Lieutenant rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, looking at the ground between them.

“I, uh.. I dunno, Shepard. I..”

“Kaidan.. please.”

His brown eyes snapped up to meet hers at that, taken aback from the use of his first name. She’d never done that before, making every attempt to keep him at arms length. Maybe it was a little manipulative to do this but, she had a hunch that it might do the trick. This was life or death after all, and they were running out of time.

“Yeah, okay,” he said boldly. “One Warp coming right up.”

With that, he tweaked the settings on his amp and began to conjure his power. Before long, the space between them was filled with a pulsing orb of incredibly strong, dark energy. She had to admit, she was a little surprised. Kaidan was far more powerful than she’d expected.

As she gazed into the orb, it felt almost hypnotising. Whenever she was in such close proximity to mass effect energy, it called out to her in chaotic, hushed whispers, saying distorted words she could never quite make out. One day, she hoped to learn what it meant. Hopefully there was more to it than her just being totally fucking insane.

Carefully easing her hand inside the pulsing ball of energy, she sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the power pouring into her the moment she made contact. Her fingers moved through the orb like they were gliding through water, feeling the pleasant tingle right down to her toes.

“Holy shit,” Kaidan gasped.

It was a strange sensation to describe, to absorb the biotics of another. It was something she’d never quite gotten used to. Like the rush of stepping beneath the stream of a scalding hot shower, or a trail of electric kisses touching everywhere at once. Her blood felt as though it was made of the most refined stims specifically made for her, rejuvenating her senses and clarity, and awakening every nerve. Most of all, she felt undeniable power. To resist the temptation to allow herself more, to tap into everything she had.. it was something that never got easier.

“Uh.. are biotics _meant_ to be able to do that?” Vega queried warily, watching her body consuming the energy hungrily.

“No, Vega,” Kaidan replied, observing in awe. “.. we’re not.”

“So, uh.. what’s the deal, Lola? You some kind of super biotic, or what?”

She looked over at Vega with a devilish grin, secretly enjoying the sight of his befuddled state. Quite the change from his usual bravado.

“You could say that,” she teased.

As the last remnants of power flooded through her, she shut her eyes tight and waited for the moment to pass. It was so intense, heightening every sense tenfold until the energy was given time to settle.

“Shepard?” came Kaidan’s husky, concerned voice, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

_Damn it, don’t touch me right now.._

It was safe to say she was.. _extra sensitive_ to another’s touch when she was like this. Even a simple, comforting gesture like that felt like something far more intimate. She jerked herself free from his grasp and took hasty steps away from the rest of the group, shielding her eyes from view.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she insisted, marching further still. “Just give me a sec..”

Barely moments later, she could hear armoured footsteps approaching, definitely too heavy to be human.

“Hey,” Garrus said softly. “Look at me.”

Encouraging her to meet his eye, his fingers delicately grazed against her upper arm and it took everything she had to stop her knees from buckling, her entire body shuddering in delight. A scorching heat rushed through her, the mark on her thigh burning as though his teeth were still there.

“Mm, okay,” she bit out, shaking her head to try and cleanse her thoughts. “You of all people should _not_ be touching me right now, Big Guy.”

“Me, of all people?” he snapped. “What the hell is-“

She let her hands fall away from her face to look up at him, trusting that her eyes would explain what she couldn’t bring herself to admit. As soon as she did, his furrowed brows raised in shock and he ceased whatever snappy remark he was about to make. She could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind as he put the pieces together.

“Shepard.. are you..?”

_Getting turned on from you barely touching my arm? Yes, Vakarian, I am. God damn it._

“Shh,” she urged in a hushed whisper, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “Look, I can’t help it, alright? It’s just.. whenever I absorb someone’s powers like that, it makes me really.. _sensitive_.”

“ _Really?_ ” he purred, smirking devilishly.

He took a dangerous step closer, leaning in so only she could hear his quiet, rumbling voice.

“So.. when you say that _I_ of all people shouldn’t touch you..?”

It took every ounce of her self restraint not to wipe the smug grin off of his stupid, gloating face.

“I know you just wanna hear me say it, Big Guy, but I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction.”

“Oh, come on,” he teased, putting extra emphasis into his velvety voice. “Indulge me a little.”

She crossed her arms and sank into her hip, trying to ignore the mischievous glint in his piercing blue eyes.

“Need I remind you what happened last time I got worked up like this?”

The way his eyes slowly roamed over her form, taking in every inch of her, it was like she could physically feel it. His gaze lingered a while at her thigh, as if he could see his mark through her armour. The morning he'd given it to her, the intense mix of ecstasy and pain from his bite had awakened her powers and made her feel much like she was right now. It made for one _incredibly_ hot encounter between the two, giving them both exactly what they wanted and needed. A quiet growl rumbled in his chest, no doubt reflecting on the same memory. Jesus, the atmosphere crackling between them was so thick, she felt like she was struggling to breathe.

“No, you don’t _need_ to, Shepard,” he said finally, meeting her eye once more. “That image is burned into my brain forever. But I’d gladly welcome a reminder anytime you’d like.”

She felt her cheeks flush at his remark, and judging by the smirking smile spreading across his face, he caught it too. Damn it, how can he have this effect on her without even doing anything?

“Garrus, you really aren’t helping and we don’t have time for this,” she insisted.

He cast his eyes over her shoulder to the rest of the team, all chatting amongst themselves or checking in on Caenia as she tended to her mate. He straightened himself up, shaking his head as if to break the spell that had just consumed them both.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can’t seem to help myself around you.”

“I know the feeling,” she mumbled, laughing awkwardly.

“Good to know,” he teased, smiling that devious smile. “Okay, so.. what do you need? Tell me.”

“As long as no one touches me for a few more minutes, I’ll be fine. It’s just my eyes. Are they.. you know.. _normal?_ ”

He folded his arms across his chest as he leaned in closer, his gaze flitting from one eye to the other studiously.

“They are.. very blue. And very beautiful,” he purred, soft and sweet.

“Okay, you need to stop using that voice too,” she mumbled.

“What voice?” he chuckled.

“The melted chocolate voice,” she snapped. “Stop it.”

“This is my normal voice, Shepard,” he teased, donning that annoying smug grin.

“Ugh, fine, then no more talking for you,” she huffed, turning to walk away. “Ass.”

His hearty chuckle rumbled behind her as they re-joined the group, and she felt more confused than ever. What the hell was that? One minute he can barely look at her, next minute he's giving her those killer bedroom eyes. Honestly, if he’d touched her again, she’d have ripped his damn armour off right there.

_Stupid turian with his damn voice. Ugh, I need a cold shower once this is done._

As they approached the rest of their team, all conversations broke off as they gathered together, save for Caenia who stayed knelt by Fabus' side.

“You good, Lola?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she assured him. “Just takes a minute for everything to settle.”

She glanced over at Kaidan as she reclaimed her gloves, his feet shuffling restlessly like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “That’s gonna be a big help.”

“Anytime, Shepard,” he said sweetly, a rosy flush spreading across his cheeks.

“Alright, we’ve wasted enough time,” Nihlus interjected, moving to stand at the centre of everyone. “Vega, Alenko; be on the lookout until the shuttle arrives. Caenia’s gonna be a little preoccupied from here on out so, I need you both to have her back. You run into trouble or if Saren comes back, you notify us immediately. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” they both replied, nodding in confirmation.

Shepard drifted away from the rest, cautiously approaching the distraught woman.

“So.. we’re heading out,” she began, trying her best not to sound awkward. “The shuttle should be here soon but, Vega and Alenko will keep watch until it does. Any problems, just give us a shout and we’ll come right back.”

Caenia simply nodded in reply, still gazing lovingly at her sleeping mate.

“How long will you keep him like this?”

“As long as it takes,” she answered. “Ideally until the bullet’s out. His blood will need to be pumping to flush the toxins from his system, but I wanna wait until the medics have everything at the ready to give him the best possible chance. Just radio through when they’re good to go and I’ll wake him up.” 

Caenia finally tore her gaze away, giving Shepard a look she couldn’t quite work out.

“..what?” she asked, feeling as though the woman had her under a microscope.

“I, uh.. it’s just-“

“Shepard,” came Nihlus' voice from across the way. “Time to go, let’s move!”

“One sec!” she hollered before looking back to her present company. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“Just.. kill that bastard for me, if you find him,” she sighed. “Make him suffer.”

For some reason, Shepard got the feeling that wasn’t what Caenia originally wanted to say. Though there was no time to dwell on it. She nodded in reply and bid her farewells to the rest of the team, heading deeper into the spaceport with Garrus and Nihlus in tow.

They knew it needed to be done, as much as they didn’t like it. The beacon was their reason for coming here in the first place. Now with everything else that had happened, its recovery was more important than ever. A potential weapon of unknown power, in the hands of a mad Spectre gone rogue? Yeah, that had trouble written _all_ over it. Still, it didn’t make it any easier to leave the rest of the crew behind, whether it was for good reason or not. Shepard just had to keep herself focused, channel her power in a steady stream until Fabus was in the safe hands of those who could save him.

 _Hold on, big fella,_ she thought to herself. _If anyone can pull through it’s you, ya tough bastard._

The atmosphere was quiet, tense. Nihlus was still coming to terms with Saren’s betrayal, too many pieces still missing to make sense of it all. And despite the heated moment between her and Garrus, he had slipped back into his tense, distant persona. Whether it was simply concern for Nihlus, or something more, she had no fucking clue. Still, they managed to fight through the waves of geth with ease, eventually finding themselves standing on a small platform that would lead them deeper into the compound. Surprise, surprise.. it was _tediously_ fucking slow. She took a moment to quietly catch her breath, the weight of exerting her powers suddenly growing heavier.

“Shepard.. you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, Kryik,” she assured him. “I think they’re on the shuttle now..”

“What makes you say that?”

“Keeping this power going takes more energy as Fabus gets farther away from me,” she explained, gripping onto the railing. “It just got more intense pretty damn quick so, my guess is that’s because they’re now flying in the opposite direction.”

Like clockwork, the hiss of the comm crackled in her ear, a slightly relieved Alenko chiming through.

“Heading back to the Normandy now with no further casualties..”

“Told ya,” Shepard said with a smirk, starting to calm down a little.

“..Fabus’ stasis is holding strong so far,” Kaidan continued. “Good job, Shepard. You doing okay?”

“She’s fine, Lieutenant,” came Garrus’ blunt reply. “Keep us posted if anything changes.”

“..of course, Captain,” Kaidan replied sheepishly. “Be safe out there, guys. And hang on in there, Shepard. We’ll let you know as soon as Fabus is ready to go.”

“Noted,” she answered, nodding even though he couldn’t see.

As soon as they deactivated their comms again, Garrus came to stand beside her. At this point, she couldn’t tell if he was pissed off or concerned. Probably both.

“Shepard, I told you that you should’ve gone with them,” he barked. “How are you gonna cope when they reach the Normandy?”

“Garrus, I’m fine now,” she insisted. “It just went from walking distance to ‘full throttle’ shuttle mode real fast and took me by surprise, that’s all.”

“Spirits,” he huffed. “Why do you have to be so stubborn? If you’d have gone with them, you wouldn’t have to deal with this at all.”

She turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest.

“Yeah, and instead, I’d have been losing my damn mind worrying about you to the point where I can’t focus,” she snapped. “This may not seem like the most logical choice to you, but believe me when I tell you it is. And as we’ve already established, I am your best shot at taking Saren down.”

“So.. it’s fine to make me worry about you, but not the other way around?” he growled. “Do you have _any_ idea how I felt earlier, hearing that gunshot? You told me you’d call if you were in danger, and you didn’t. For all I knew, you could have been dead! Scared the shit out of me, Shepard!”

“Is _that_ what you’ve been acting so pissy with me about?”

He shook his head in annoyance, his brow plates furrowed.

“I haven’t been acting _anything_ with you.”

“Gimme a break, Garrus,” she chided. “You’ve been having so many damn mood swings today, I’m starting to get whiplash.”

“Mood swings?!” he snapped. “How about-“

A frustrated growl erupted from Nihlus, echoing across the vast space.

“For spirits sake, will you both **shut up?** ” he snapped. “I know you guys are going through some stuff right now but, come _on!_ When I said I was gonna bash your heads together, I didn’t think I would actually have to consider it.”

“I’m sorry,” Shepard cut in. “You’re gonna do what now?”

“Consider it a feeble attempt to knock some sense into the pair of you,” he growled. “You guys can’t keep fighting like this.”

“Well, maybe if she wouldn’t insist on being so damn stubborn,” Garrus huffed, gesturing in her general direction.

“Me?” she snapped. “What about you? You wanted me to leave to punish me for whatever's gotten your panties in a twist today, and now you’re shitty with me for just trying to do my job. Too damn stubborn to admit that you need my help.”

He swivelled around to face her, matching her anger.

“ _That’s_ why you think I wanted you to leave?” he growled. “Spirits, Shepard, I’m not a damn fledgling. Whatever is going on with us personally, I would never allow it to compromise a mission like that.”

“So, you admit that something _has_ pissed you off?”

“We’re not doing this now.”

“The hell we aren’t,” she snapped. “I’m fed up of you blowing hot and cold on me every five seconds, Garrus. I can’t keep up. One minute you can barely look me in the eye, the next you look about ready to rip my damn armour off.”

“And whose fault is that, hmm?” he retorted, stepping closer.

_Well, at least he’s admitting it.._

“Alright, alright,” Nihlus cut in, stepping between them both. “Let’s just take a breather, shall we? Spirits..”

Their riled up tension oozed across the space, both breathing heavy, quickened breaths in their frustration. Like a battle of wits, they kept their eyes locked, both too damn stubborn to back down. Eventually, Garrus growled in exasperation before giving in, sulking off to put some distance between them. The silence that followed was painful.

“Gar-bear,” Nihlus said finally, filling the void. “Do you remember that little talk we had the day Shepard joined the Normandy?”

She looked over at Garrus questioningly, but when he met her eye this time, he looked almost.. sad.

“Now's not the time, Nih,” he said solemnly, mandibles pulled tight against his face.

“Isn’t it?” Nihlus countered. “You two keep butting heads like this and you may not have much choice.”

“Erm, what are you guys talking about?” she asked curiously, looking between the pair.

Nihlus pinned his friend with an expectant stare, goading him to fess up. She just tapped her foot impatiently as she waited, watching Garrus' torn expression as his eyes danced across her features. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. He was humming so loud he sounded like a damn generator.

“It’s nothing,” he murmured after a while, looking off into the distance. “Don’t worry about it.”

_“You two keep butting heads like this and you may not have much choice.”_

Had Nihlus told Garrus to put an end to this.. this _thing_ between them, whatever it was? And that sad, conflicted look on his face just now.. did that mean he wanted to?

The thought left a dull ache in her chest, but she buried it down and decided not to dwell on it at this particular, highly impractical moment. Another frustrated growl erupted from Nihlus' chest, drawing her thoughts away.

“See,” he snapped. “ _This_ is you’re problem right here. You guys don’t talk about anything. If you could just swallow your pride for five minutes and be honest with each other, you wouldn’t get into these situations in the first place.”

He perched himself against the platform’s console, gripping the edge tight as he stared down at his feet.

“Shepard, I have an idea of what’s got Gar-bear so grouchy but, honestly, it’s not my place to say. He’ll have to do that himself,” he insisted, glaring at Garrus as though he were giving an order. “But.. that isn’t why he wanted you to go. Back in the port, Saren didn’t seem to care much about the others until they pissed him off. But when he saw you and realised who you were.. he went for you without any provocation. And now he knows you’re a threat to him. Garrus wanted you to stay with the others because he’s worried that Saren will try again when we find him.” 

She glanced over at Garrus, his sheepish, embarrassed demeanour suggesting that Nihlus had hit the nail on the head.

_Oh.._

“Gar-bear,” he continued, not giving either of them the chance to speak. “I know you wanna protect Shepard but, first and foremost, she’s your partner. You can’t shield her from every danger or Concordia is never going to work. It’s okay to worry, but you have to trust her ability and let her do her job. Should she have radioed through earlier? Probably. But that gunshot you heard was Shepard saving my life so, you’ll forgive me if I’m finding it hard to be mad at her for it. Without her, I would have had no idea that Saren was going to.. to..”

His sadness stole any remaining words he had left to say, quiet keening whimpers crying through him. Suddenly, any animosity lingering between her and Garrus seemed so distant and trivial now. Their only focus being their grieving friend, one who had already done so much for them. Shepard perched herself beside him, placing a gentle hand on his forearm.

“I’m sorry, Nihlus,” she said sincerely. “You’ve got so much going on right now, the last thing you need is us adding to it. You okay?”

“I just.. I don’t understand,” he said solemnly. “This is a man that I’ve known for so many years. Took me under his wing and taught me everything there was to know about being a Spectre. He’s never been shy about his sentiments towards your kind but, to take it this far? I just didn’t believe him capable of such an act. I just want to know why. Why he’s doing all of this. What his plan is.”

“We’ll get you your answers, don’t worry,” she assured him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “And if something _has_ changed him somehow, I dunno.. maybe there’s some way we can help him..”

“After what he’s done to Fabus.. what he tried to do to you.. I’m not even sure I _want_ to help him,” Nihlus admitted, sounding almost guilty. “Spirits, that makes me sound like a monster.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Garrus insisted. “With everything he’s done today, it’s understandable to want justice for it. He’ll pay for his actions, Nih. One way or another. We won’t let him get away with this..”

“We’ve got your back, Nihlus,” Shepard offered. “However you want this to play out.”

He appraised the two of them thoughtfully, a small hint of a grateful smile teasing through.

“Thanks guys,” he said sincerely. “I appreciate it.” 

The tender moment came to an abrupt end when both turians suddenly became much more alert, snapping around to scan the surroundings as the platform closed in on the spaceport ahead.

“What’s going on?” Shepard asked, noticing them growing increasingly edgy.

“Geth,” Garrus answered, readying his rifle. “I can’t get a visual from here but, I can hear them up ahead. Hard to tell how many. Keep your guard up from here on out.”

She nodded in reply as she readied her own weapon, taking a deep, shaky breath. With the vast distance now separating her and Fabus, each movement felt as though she were manoeuvring underwater. Weighed down, almost fighting against the atmosphere itself. She couldn’t let them see it, all she had to do was hang on until she was given the green light to wake him again. She could still sense him there, calm and tranquil in the back of her mind. The feeling kept her going, kept her powering through. Fabus was depending on her, and she wasn’t about to let him down.

 _You can do this,_ she thought to herself. _Just breathe. Focus. Conserve your power._

The platform steadily came to a halt as it pulled into the bay, the brakes emitting a faint screech as they clamped down against the tracks. With everyone’s guns raised, they carefully stepped off the platform, each scanning a different section of the port for hostile activity. So far, no sign of Saren, and the few geth they _could_ see were across the far side of the walkway, otherwise oblivious to their presence.

Veering around the corner to head for cover, their eyes collectively landed on the huge container laying on the ground, the attached timer already counting down.

“Fuck, we’ve got a bomb!” Shepard yelled.

The stealth option went out the window pretty damn quick, their raised, urgent voices drawing the attention of every geth within earshot. The team urgently leapt behind cover and Shepard rushed to crouch beside the explosive, opening her Omni-Tool to scan it as the seconds continued to tick away.

“I’m gonna need a minute to deactivate this,” she insisted, typing vigorously into her Omni-Tool. “I need you guys to keep them off me.”

“You got it, Shepard,” Garrus confirmed.

He peered out from behind the wall to fire his rifle, the shot cutting through the chaos as it wiped out the sniper in his crosshairs.

“When he said ‘explosive’, I didn’t think he meant literally,” Nihlus snarled. “Spirits, he was planning this all along, wasn’t he? What is he even trying to do here?”

So focused on decrypting through the bomb’s detonation sequence, Shepard was too preoccupied to fully register Nihlus’ words. But as she continued to work, she unknowingly found the answer he was looking for.

“Uhh, guys..” she said hesitantly. “I’m detecting more signatures that match this one. Three, to be precise. Gotta be close by based on these readings..”

“That much firepower would wipe out the entire colony,” Garrus growled.

Sending the last hacking code into the explosive’s software, the screen of the timer glitched momentarily before fizzling out and shutting down.

“Alright, that’s one,” Shepard said hastily, getting to her feet. “We need to find the rest and shut them down. **Now!** ”

Luckily, Shepard’s prediction rang true and they didn’t have to search far. The explosives had been carefully placed into each guarded corner of the port, with the three battling in sync against Saren’s synthetic minions to reach them. Unwilling to waste any time, they threw everything they had at the enemies barring the way, leaving nothing more than heaps of shrapnel in their wake as they deactivated one bomb after another.

“Come on, _come on,_ ” she pleaded, deftly hacking through the firewalls of the final explosive.

Only one geth sniper was still standing, proving exceedingly trickier than the rest had been. In a moment of rage and frustration, Nihlus rumbled with a bestial snarl as he sprinted off and barrelled down the walkway towards it. Whenever the sniper opened fire, he’d flit behind cover lightning fast, lingering just long enough to avoid the rifle’s shot. When he caught his enemy pausing to reload, he seized the opportunity, closing the distance with rapid momentum until he’d stampeded right through the synthetic form.

The sheer force of the tackle sent the sniper crashing to the ground, now disoriented and unarmed, and utterly powerless against him. Nihlus’ armoured boot crushed against its chest with a heavy stomp, holding it steady as he raised his gun, firing a stream of bullets that never seemed to cease. The feelings he’d been keeping buried down deep were all coming to the surface, his sadness being overtaken by a primal ferocity.

The timer on the bomb beeped three times to signal its deactivation as Shepard finished her decryption. Admittedly it was a little hard to make out over the rapid fire still drilling through the atmosphere nearby. But now that her work was done and they were safe, she took a moment to quietly collect herself, doing her best to hide her struggle from her teammates. Fighting against the exhaustion that threatened to pull her down. Fortunately, Garrus’ attention was very much diverted to his friend who still fired relentlessly on the very deceased form at his feet. She watched on as Garrus approached him cautiously, hearing his little hums of concern as he grew closer.

“It's dead, Nih,” he offered, his voice calm and collected. “It’s over..”

The sound of his voice cut through Nihlus' blinding rage, and he finally eased his finger off the trigger. The port suddenly became eerily quiet, only the ringing in their ears now masking the silence. Nothing remained of the sniper save for a few chunks of smoking, scorched scrap, the rest now completely obliterated.

“The bomb?” Nihlus asked severely, reluctant to address his momentary lapse in control.

“Taken care of.”

Garrus glanced back over his shoulder to meet her eye, smiling that genuine smile that made her feel warm all over.

“That was really impressive, Shepard,” he said sincerely, beaming with a hint of pride. “Good work. Who knows how many lives you just saved.”

“ _We_ just saved,” she corrected, smiling softly as she got to her feet.

“I’ll tell you how many,” Nihlus cut in furiously. “Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Maybe even _millions_. It's like you said, Garrus, there’s enough firepower here to wipe out an **entire _fucking_ colony!**”

As he spoke, he angrily kicked a piece of the synthetic debris laying at his feet. It flew across the tracks like a bullet, the sound echoing across the port as the scrap metal ricocheted against the wall and clattered to the ground on the opposite side.

“He was prepared to kill all of those people. Blow up half the planet just to hide the evidence of his crimes,” he growled, his chest heaving with his deep, angered breaths. “I should have shot him when I had the chance.”

“Well, we managed to prevent that from happening, and the evidence is still right here to bring forward to the Council,” Shepard offered. “But we should move out, Kyrik. If we hurry.. we may still be able to catch up to him.”

He shook his head in response, still glaring at the ground like it had done him some kind of disservice.

“He’s gone, Shepard,” he said quietly. “As far as he’s aware, those bombs are still active. He won’t have stuck around any longer than necessary.”

“Son of a bitch,” Garrus snapped, growling in frustration. “What are we supposed to do now, Nih? We have no idea where he’d be going and no means of tracking him down.”

As the two of them deliberated, Shepard quietly tiptoed away. Such exertion of her powers was becoming increasingly overbearing, each step feeling like she was made of Thorium from head to toe. Still no word from the rest of the crew. What the hell was taking so long? She couldn’t risk just waking Fabus up without warning, especially if they weren’t ready to administer the cure yet. As time passed, it was starting to look like tinkering with her Bio-Lock was her only option. If she kept this up for much longer, she’d be crawling on her damn hands and knees for the remainder of the mission. No use to anyone. She couldn’t become a burden like that, couldn’t risk the safety of her teammates. She stopped in front of the tall wall before her, resting her sweat-slicked forehead against the chilled stone as she raised her arm to shield her face from view.

 _Deep breath in,_ she thought to herself. _Deep breath out._ _You’ve got this, get your god damn shit together._

She continued her meditations, inhaling deeply through her nostrils and exhaling slowly through her mouth. Too much was at stake, there was no way she could tempt fate by tapping into more power. If it went wrong, it could put all of them at far greater risk. She just had to grit her teeth and bare it, hold on for as long as it takes. Too caught up in her internal debate, she barely noticed the armoured footsteps growing closer.

“Shepard..” came a dual-toned voice, humming with worry.

“I’m fine, Garrus,” she answered, closing her eyes to focus. “I just.. need a minute.”

“Look, Nih wants to search the rest of the port. See if we can find anything that can help us figure out Saren’s next move. Why don’t you rest up here, and we’ll come and get you once we’re done?”

Great, now even _they_ thought she was becoming a liability. Not a fucking chance. She wanted to see this mission through just as much as they did. To be there for Nihlus as he had been for her when she needed him. Not only that, but the atrocities committed here against her own kind were heinous and substantial, of course she wanted justice for it. She sure as hell wasn’t going to let something as trivial being a little winded stop her from doing her job. She took a deep breath in resolve, pushing herself off the wall to stand up straight.

“No,” she said flatly, standing tall. “I don’t need to rest, I’m fine.”

“Not according to this you're not,” Garrus huffed, tapping his visor. “You’re exhausted, Shepard. Just let us take care of this, we won’t be long.”

“It’s been a long ass day, Garrus,” she snapped. “We’re all exhausted. I’m not staying behind and that’s final. Now let’s go.”

She kept her determined gaze locked on his right until she stormed passed and headed for a brooding Nihlus.

“You know, I could just order you to stay,” he grumbled, closing the distance between them.

“You could.. and I could just as easily ignore you,” she quipped, shrugging a shoulder.

Spotting the pair engaged in another bickering session, Nihlus rolled his eyes and ventured further into the port without waiting for them to catch up, too damn pissed to entertain their petty disputes any longer. As they followed behind, they continued their little back and forth, although it only became more irrelevant the farther they travelled. If they truly didn’t have much more to do, then it wouldn’t be an issue much longer anyway. The more hands on deck, the quicker the job gets finished. Though she couldn’t deny that it was getting harder to maintain a bold front, hide the dizziness that was quickly washing over her.

Then a familiar salarian voice filled her ears like a call from the heavens.

“Shepard,” Mordin said through the comm. “Bullet removed from patient, ready to operate. Need blood flow to administer antidote.”

“God damn, Mordin,” she sighed, laughing a little in relief. “I could honestly kiss you right now, I swear to god.”

“Even if not physically impossible, a little busy right now, Shepard,” he teased. “Perhaps later.”

“Alright, I’ll wake him up,” she confirmed. “Just be ready, okay? Save him, whatever it takes.”

“Of course, Shepard. Ready when you are.”

“Alright, here we go..”

She closed her eyes to focus, ignoring the instructions Mordin was giving to his medical assistance on the other side of the comm. She had to do this carefully. This wasn’t something you could just rush through like ripping off a band-aid, it required patience and a softer touch. Slowly, she began to release her grip on his mind, like easing someone out of a comforting embrace.

 _Be strong, big fella,_ she thought, feeling the last traces of him drifting away. _You can do this, just gotta fight a little longer. They’ll help you._

The sound of Fabus’ agonised roars filled the comm as he awoke from his stasis, and Shepard almost dropped to her knees from the sudden lack of all that extra weight dragging her down. Before she could properly fall, huge, three fingered hands grabbed a hold of her, keeping her steady as she tried to catch her breath. She looked into his crystal blue eyes and gave him a small smile, grateful for his help.

“What’s going on, Professor?” Garrus asked, sounding a little panicked.

“Patient previously unresponsive to pain,” he explained. “Now awake? Different matter. Only temporary, however. Sedating patient as we speak, will settle as pain relief takes effect. No more time to talk, must focus on patient.”

“O-of course, Professor,” Garrus answered. “Just keep us posted.”

“Certainly.”

As the crackle of the comm dissipated, she glanced down at the hand still holding her waist in a tight grip, looking up to see Garrus staring right back at her. His face was drawn together with concern, his mandibles nestled tightly against his cheeks.

“He’ll be okay, Blue,” she assured him. “Mordin knows what he’s doing, Fabus is in good hands.”

“No, it’s not that,” he admitted, shaking his head. “It’s just..”

He paused for a moment, hesitant to finish his sentence as his eyes scanned her features.

“What?” she asked curiously.

His free hand raised ever so slightly, reaching out to touch her, his movements shaky and cautious as if he were battling with himself whether to see it through.

“Well.. I, uh.. I was worried about-“

Before he could finish, the sound of gunfire caught both of their attention. That’s when they realised that Nihlus was nowhere to be seen. Their eyes locked for a moment, seeming to read each other’s mind as they both sprinted off in unison in the direction the chaos was coming from. When they reached a set of stairs leading to the very edge of the port, Nihlus finally came into view, hiding behind a ledge with a couple of synthetic corpses laying close by. He popped out of cover to fire at the trooper heading his way, cursing to himself as he swapped out his thermal clip. A metallic clang rang out as they leapt down the steps to join the fight, scouring the area to see just how many hostiles they were dealing with.

“Damn it, Kryik,” Shepard snapped, launching down the final steps. “What the hell were you thinking, running off on your own like that?”

“I’m not a pup, Shepard,” he retorted. “I fight better on my own. Besides, I figured you two would be more likely to kiss and make up if you had a little privacy.”

“That’s real helpful, Nih,” Garrus droned.

With no other enemies in sight, it seemed this trooper was the last one standing, and with their collective efforts, it went down in no time at all.

“Alright, I think that’s all of them,” Nihlus offered, getting to his feet.

Their attentions turned to the sky, the ominous ship from the transmission emerging through the dark, smoggy clouds only long enough for them to catch a glimpse before it soared upwards and disappeared amongst the darkness.

“Spirits,” Garrus gasped. “What on Palaven is that thing? It’s monstrous.”

“Whatever it is, we won’t catch it now,” Nihlus huffed, shaking his head. “And I’m willing to bet that Saren is onboard, flying off to only spirits knows where.”

With the rest of the chaos settled, they finally took genuine notice of the strange plinth situated on the edge of the port. The traces of blue LED lighting bleeding through suggested that it was some sort of technical device, though the eerie green mist emanating from it hinted that it wasn’t entirely ordinary. They all knew instantly that it was the beacon without a word being spoken. As Shepard did her best to comfort and reassure a brooding Nihlus, she didn’t pay much mind to Garrus curiously observing the beacon in greater detail.

“This is incredible,” he gushed. “I’ll send some readings to EDI, then have the shuttle come in for pick up..”

She nodded absent-mindedly, approaching Nihlus and placing a gentle hand on his armoured bicep.

“Kryik, everything you’ve been through today.. it’s.. _a lot_. You know I’m always around if you wanna talk, right?”

His vivid green eyes softened as they met hers, a hint of a small smile spreading across his features as he placed a grateful hand atop her own.

“Thanks, Shepard,” he said sincerely. “I just don’t get it. He did all of this just to find the beacon. So, why didn’t he take.. uhh.. Gar-bear?”

His eyes snapped over to where Garrus was closing in on the beacon and she instinctually followed suit, her heart leaping into her chest as the hazy mist surrounding it seemed to almost reach out for him. The concern in Nihlus’ tone was enough to make Garrus stop in his tracks, but when he attempted to pull away, the mist clung to him desperately, drawing him in even as he fought against it.

“Shit,” he growled, strain in his voice.

It was like her body moved on instinct, the sight of him in trouble making her biotics flair wildly and shoot across the space in the blink of an eye. Before she could even fully register what was happening, she was already clinging to him as she desperately tried to heave him out of the beacon’s grasp.

“Hang on, Big Guy..”

“Shepard, what the hell are you doing?” he snapped.

“Getting you out of here! What does it look like?”

But for every ounce of strength they gave, the beacon upped the ante ten times over. Even when she tried to use her power to propel them forward, it seemed to study it and adapt, fighting back even stronger until she could no longer fight against it. It gradually consumed and overwhelmed them both, like trying to pull away from a magnet of the opposite pole. Until eventually, they couldn’t fight anymore. The faint sound of Nihlus’ hollering shouts seemed as though they were miles away, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Garrus suspended above ground just as she was, his body now stiff, rigid and unmoving. A scorching, seething pain shot down her spine like fire, spreading through every fiber of her being as a shrieking scream wracked through her mind.

..that’s when the darkness hit her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we are! Hope you enjoyed this one, it's been a part of the story I've really been looking forward to writing. Of course I couldn't kill Nihlus off, that little diva is going to be around for a long while yet! 
> 
> This chapter gave you a little extra taste into Eva's special abilities. These are just the tip of the iceberg though, I can't wait to reach the chapters where you see what she's really made of. 😏 Will it have been enough to save Fabus, though? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
> 
> Thanks for being so patient, genuinely appreciate all of you who take the time to read this still 😊 you keep me motivated!


End file.
